Mall Retail (Cambridge Centre, Conestoga, Fairview)

[DHLawrence]

Sears heritage façade could be altered as mall finds new use for store

KITCHENER — The heritage façade of the Sears building at Fairview Park mall could change under new plans for the soon-to-be-vacant store.

The 140,000-square-foot Sears building is a major feature of the mall, but it will be vacant within weeks. The Sears store that anchors the mall, and which opened in 1965 before the rest of the mall was completed, is set to shut for good in January.

Sears Canada is winding down its business and the inventory of all the 130 Sears stores across the country is being liquidated.

The building, with its distinctive ribbed, pre-cast concrete exterior, isn't protected with a heritage designation, but is listed on the city's register of properties of heritage value.

Cadillac Fairview, which owns Fairview Park mall and the Sears building, will announce plans for the store early in 2018, said Finley McEwen, the company's senior vice-president of development.

He wouldn't reveal details, but said in the short term, the building would undergo "minor reconfiguration" both inside and out.