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wreckers tearing down giant sears building at windsor's devonshire mall

as shoppers continue hunting for deals elsewhere in one...

by doug schmidt

aug 1 2024
read time 1 minute read
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as shoppers continue hunting for deals elsewhere in one of the biggest retail malls in ontario, the wrecking crews have begun clawing away at the north end of windsor’s devonshire mall.
long one of its largest anchor tenants, the former sears store, vacant since 2018, is being torn down.
earlier this year, a mall owner spokesman told the star that “the timing is right” for redevelopment and that discussions were underway with multiple interested potential future commercial tenants.
while not providing specifics, chris savard, regional operations manager for the mall’s owner, primaris reit, said in march that the hope was for any new tenant or tenants to open in 2025.
messages left monday and tuesday by the windsor star with devonshire mall management — seeking further details on plans for the site — were not returned ahead of print deadline.
clearing the former sears site opens up a large opportunity space at the mall, which boasts more than a million square feet of retail offerings. seven hectares (18.5 acres) is being freed up with the removal of the large sears building.
workers are shown at the former sears anchor store at the devonshire mall on tuesday, july 30, 2024 where demolition of the giant building is in full swing.
workers are shown at the former sears anchor store at the devonshire mall on tuesday, july 30, 2024 where demolition of the giant building is in full swing. dan janisse / windsor star
savard said earlier this year that the mall’s owners hadn’t yet ruled out any particular future use or uses for the new space, including a hotel or some form of housing.

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savard said devonshire mall had fully recovered from the covid-19 economic downturn and was experiencing record sales volumes. pre-pandemic, the mall built in 1970 on the former horse racing track saw seven million visitors in 2019.
“the combination of all the factors creating a positive economic outlook in windsor make it a perfect storm in a good way,” savard told the star.
dschmidt@postmedia.com
twitter.com/schmidtcity
doug schmidt
doug schmidt

doug schmidt — email: dschmidt@postmedia.com — is a reporter and senior copy editor at the windsor star. current focuses include the courts beat and assisting with editing stories for print and online editions. before joining the windsor star in 1995, schmidt spent a decade at community newspapers across canada, from b.c. and ontario to canada’s north. his news coverage has garnered many journalism awards and taken him from grise fiord in the high arctic to afghanistan and taiwan — though he concentrates on the news-rich environment of windsor and essex county and goes by the motto #localnewsmatters.

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