Sears Calls It Quits in Downtown Oakland

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After 70 years in downtown Oakland, Sears has closed to make way for a new retail-tech hub, but few seem to care that they'll have to drive all the way to San Bruno for a (Vogue-approved) Kardashian Kollection fix. Oakland planning director Rachel Flynn told KTVU, "We see this as an opportunity to bring in new kinds of retail that we've seen be successful in our city...This isn't one of those white elephants where everyone says woe is me. This is wow, what a great opportunity."

Menlo Park-based Lane Partners bought the Sears building earlier this year for $25 million, according to the SF Business Times. The group will renovate the 66,000 square foot space to create Uptown Station, which will house smaller retail stores and restaurants on the ground level and technology companies on the upper floors. KTVU says the building is expected to reopen in 12-18 months, so pencil in time for new shopping and dining destinations before concerts at the Fox Theatre in 2016.
· Changes coming to downtown Oakland's retail scene [KTVU]
· Lane Partners buys historic Sears building in Oakland to lure tech tenants [SF Business Times]