Deerbrook Mall General Manager Carlos Limontes said he was notified of the closure in early February, and the out-of-business sales began Feb. 6. Because Transformco, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, owns the land parcel and the building in the Deerbrook Mall, Limontes said the mall does not have much control over what business will replace the home appliances store.
However, he said he is hopeful the company will redevelop the 147,000-square-foot space into something new.
"The possibilities are really exciting when you have an anchor decide to close," Limontes said. "It's good real estate, if you think about it, with its proximity to [FM] 1960 and visibility."
Willowbrook Mall General Manager Sandy LaClave said the store manager confirmed that the Sears store in the mall will close in April. She said the mall parcel is also owned by Transformco.
The closures came after Transformco announced in a Nov. 7 news release that it intended to close 51 Sears stores and 45 Kmart across the nation by February. The November list did not include the stores at Deerbrook or Willowbrook malls. Transformco Public Relations Director Larry Costello declined to comment on or confirm the closures Feb. 12.
