Wow When I 1st posted this thread - never imagined to would take on a life of it's own. Well some of my plans once I closed the stores came to fruition, some didn't - the boat and cruising the Eastern Seaboard, certainly didn't could afford the boat just couldn't afford to move it like I planned, still a dream. Other big disappointment - couldn't stand being retired! so went I went back to work! Regular receiving associate at Lowe's - it's great; don't manage anyone, no need to plan anything, no deadlines, no matrix's to hit - just come in do the job and go home - perfect! but this is about closing the stores so thought I'd post some from my last "real" Sears store in Chicago,. 70 million a year back in the 90's - every Saturday between T-day and Xmas was a million dollars - it was busy! Store was located in Irving Park, was know as 6 corners because 3 major avenues intersected. the big "grey" building at the bottom of the intersection is Sears Store being built in 1932 - look at the guy vrs the empty window frame - the corner window was 3 stores, made up of 48 glass panels, seemed to recall they we 10'x20' each - know it was $5,000 to replace a panel and every year I was there we replaced at least 4 panels - usually debris brought by the wind. store in the 50/60's store before it closed You Tube tour of the inside all 5 floors - long 14 min and kind of jumpy basement, 2, 3 & 4 all 43,000 sq.ft. main floor 165,000 over 300,000 sq. ft. selling, total building 800,000 includes the 2 floors under the basement and the 5th floor mechanical a/c floor. 1 of the sub floors was ComEd electric Company switching station. FUTURE PLANS FOR THE BUILDING https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/1...tments-and-retail-under-newly-revealed-plans/ even though my commute to get there was 2 hours each way and the store was busy every DAY I had fun there.
That's amazing. Sears & Roebuck really did put good money into great architecture, as evidenced by some of the buildings I've seen: the location on Highway 99 North of Seattle in Shoreline, where to keep the store's footprint small, the majority of the parking was on the roof! Things like that, that you no longer see, because 'investors' only think of their dividends, and not of a company's health or longevity.
Post # 256 - J. C. Penny Co. ----- That's the store in Santa Monica, CA. I remember shopping in that store quite a lot in the 60's. Also remember that it was managed by one of the members of the church our family was attending at the time, also in Santa Monica. The 3 flag poles are there to basically stop vehicles from entering - that WAS Third street, which was turned into a open-air 'walking mall' in the early 60's. Still a walking mall to this day. The cross street the photo was taken from is Santa Monica Bl.
