YEAH, THAT’S THE ONE 
“Watching the speculation machine has been fun so far,” the source of yesterday’s enormously vague tip about the impending demolition of a “major Houston property” whispers to Swamplot: “I can tell you . . . that one of the commenters already named the property/properties in question.” And no, it isn’t Macy’s. [Previously on Swamplot] Photo: Seth Bienek
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With Macy’s now officially out, I’m putting my money on Midtown Sears to be the next domino to fall. How could it not be?
That Sears needs to go. Maybe then that deadzone (you know, a mixture of rundown buildings and urban prairie) between the Museum District and Midtown could be revitalized.
Please let it be the old Houston Post building. Remember the old, defunct HISD building on Richmond? Same architect.
Ooooh. So, it must be down to the Muffin Man house and the Heights Walmart.
Sears on Main was actually a cool looking building until they covered it in metal in the 1960s.
http://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2010/10/sears-in-houston/
Ron, you’re right.
Yes, Ron, you’re right. How cool might it be to take off that aluminum cladding (sell it for scrap!) and rehab the Sears into something useful.
Please let it be the old Houston Post building. Remember the old, defunct HISD building on Richmond? Same architect.
I sort of like the few remaining examples of the Brutalist Style left in Houston: The Houston Post building, Neiman Marcus in the Galleria, The Alley Theater. At least they have some character; there’s so much innocuous, midrise, utterly forlorn and forgettable stuff all over our city. Like them or not, they at least cause some reaction. I really enjoy going into the Alley; I imagine myself asking someone for the Wicked Witch of the West’s broom when I leave.
Yeah, look at the pre-clad Sears & Roebuck
building . . . looks pretty nice. Sears has
been heading downhill for so so long, its
amazing that they hang on to this location.
Most of the departments are outside
vendors now, only thing that makes money
for the chain is the appliance and tool
department (due to misguided customer loyalty). BUT, the original building/facades
are great, but will need some rehab.
Sorry, I just can’t see Sears rehabbing that old store on Main. It is almost like a ghost, just hanging around with no where to go. And yes, I do shop there, but only because it is close.
The Sears would not be that hard to rehab. If they can rehab that awful 60s cladded building on Main where the Marriott is going in than they can restore the Sears store to its beautiful 30s exterior. Im sure all of the art deco accoutrements are still intact under that awful cladding they had to add in the 50s or whenever it was to “modernize” and uglify that building, like they did with so many pre war buildings in the 50s-70s. Its like 1950 hit and America just forgot how to make good architecture.
The deco ornamentation was torn off when teh building was ‘modernized’. After Ike, a few of the panels blew off and all that was underneath was bare concerete.
The problem with “rehabbing” the Sears/Main St.location is the taggers/graffiti “artistes” would ruin it within 24 hours of the post-rehab. This is 2013 not 1965,when douche bag/low life taggers/graffiti “artistes” didn’t ruin private property with their lame, ugly spray painted crap!! Besides,Eddie Lampert,the BILLIONAIRE owner of Kmart/Sears (through his ESL Investments/Sears Holdings Corp. hedge fund based in Miami,FL is not going to invest/spend any money on the decaying old stores(KMarts & Sears) that his hedge fund owns.It is not cost effective nor would he or any owner recoup any investment.That store sales would have to double/triple to justify any upgrades.