Say goodbye to the Fordham Road Sears, but say hello to a brand new plaza.
Sears, once a retail-titan, will soon leave its long-standing location on 404 East Fordham Road after almost eight decades, according to published reports.
It was just six years ago that the Sears building underwent major renovations of about $120 million, decreasing the retailer’s store size while adding a Best Buy and a Walgreens, after standing alone for so many years.
But those renovations were just the beginning.
Sears is now in the process of cutting ties entirely with its iconic location on Fordham Road. Liquidation and clearance sales will start on Friday, September 25, and the closing will take place by the end of November, according to reports.
After the close, Sears will only have two stores remaining in New York City, both located in Brooklyn.
While Sears prepares for its departure from Fordham Road, however, a new project is in the works just a block away.
The Fordham Plaza reconstruction project will include many new stores and businesses, easier access to and from public transportation stations, more direct pedestrian crossings and increased pedestrian walking space.
Daniel Bernstein, deputy director of the Business Improvement District, says this project will make this area safer and more welcoming for commuters and pedestrians.
“These changes are essential,” he said. “There are so many people that venture to this location on a day-to-day basis that we feel we had to change the structure of the plaza to fit their needs.”
Bernstein also added that he remembers shopping in Sears, dating way back to the 1960s, and he’s sad to see it go. However, he’s not letting this get in the way of his excitement for the new project.
Fordham Plaza, which sees more than 80,000 pedestrians daily, just entered the second phase of reconstruction. Currently, it stands as the largest shopping strip in the Bronx and the third largest in New York.
Ruben Diaz, Jr. called this project “a step in the right direction for the new Bronx.”
The renovations at the Fordham Plaza reconstruction project are expecting completion in the fall of 2015.
