Concept rendering of the Nordstrom store at Howe & Robson

One of the City’s worst pieces of architecture – the anti-iconic Sears Building – is about to get a serious make-over.

Speculation about the future of the site has been circulating since Sears announced that it was closing it’s doors in March of this year. Cadillac-Fairview, which owns the building, has now unveiled a series of drawings that sketch out a proposed redevelopment of the site. The plans are being undertaken, at least partially, in anticipation of another American retailer, Nordstrom, opening up shop in early 2015. Along with the anchor tenant, there will be additional office and retail space created.

The design itself, produced by local architect James Cheng, promises a more modern building – one that is far more open to the street, and which uses natural light, high-ceilings and multiple atria to create a sense of transparency and invitation. The large glass windows – if the renderings are to be believed – will help to mirror the features of other buildings in the area… something that will provide visual support to the Edwardian Art Gallery building and the Hotel Vancouver (along with and the slate of buildings it will face along Robson and Granville). 

(An aside: while it’s scale is reminiscent of the existing building, the look of the new site reminds us a teesy bit of the old central library just down the street at Robson and Burrard – and most recently occupied by HMV).

Comparisons aside, the move to enhance the current Sears site is long overdue, and couldn’t come at a better time. The development offers yet another opportunity to bring new vitality to the Robson Square area – an additional boost given Council’s decision to keep the 800-block of Robson Street closed to car traffic for three more months.

One thing to think about, given that the Cadillac-Fairview design is still in a conceptual stage: could more be done with the site to enhance the adjacent Robson Square space? For example, what if, rather than occupying the entire block, the new building were reassembled — keeping the same overall floor-space but building ‘up’ part of the site in exchange for some more at-grade open-space facing the 800-block and Art Gallery.

It’s just an idea, of course, but we’d be interested in hearing whether or not there are other possibilities. The Sears building re-do is an important exercise. Lots of folks out there – judging from the comments we’ve read – are excited to see a proverbial eyesore given an overdue make-over. Let’s make sure we do the best job possible – both given the pivotal nature of the site and the important public space that sits right across the street.

You may have read that Sears is closing its downtown Vancouver store, located in the block bounded by Howe, Granville and Robson. They’ve had the remainder of their lease bought out by property-owner Cadillac-Fairview for the princely sum of $170million… sort of a severance package of sorts, and one that will apparently allow the struggling retailer to focus its efforts on other stores.

This move certainly has gotten people talking. No sooner did we finish reading up on the story than folks started to contact us to pass along the news.

There’s clearly lots of interest in what will happen next. The Globe and Mail, for one, speculated that US-retailer Nordstrom might take over the site. Design-critic Trevor Boddy, on CBC radio this morning, said he felt that the (dare we say “iconic”) building makes an ideal site for the Vancouver Art Gallery expansion. Our pal Gord Price is on deck for an early afternoon interview as well.

The Sears building certainly is notable. It has its fans, to be sure. And it has the distinction of being designed by ‘starchitect’ César Pelli. It’s also listed on the City’s heritage register.

But it also has its detractors – and has been derided as “one of the city’s worst eyesores.” Something we’ve heard a fair bit over the years.

Given the prominence of the building to Robson Square, we’ve enjoyed often wondered what the ‘Sears’ site might be like if the building wasn’t there. It was a question that was on the mind of a number of entrants during our Where’s the Square? Ideas Competition a few years ago.

One of the submissions proposed consolidating the built form of the block to open up the southern half for an expanded public square:

Another entrant envisioned a more arcadian treatment – literally splitting the building in half and opening it up as a multi-level public space

Given the real estate economics behind the lease buy-out, we imagine that neither of these options will be front-of-mind for Cadillac-Fairview. But having said that, it’s still nice to dream…

The York Hotel – on the site of the current Sears Building – CVA 99-3995

The city, after all, is always changing. Before there was Sears there was Eaton’s (in the same building). And before there was Eaton’s there was the old York Hotel. Buildings get built, they last, they change uses. And then? There’s longevity for some and not for others, and the factors that determine these sorts of things aren’t always that easy to predict.