Historic Sears building in Riverside up for demolition to make way for apartment buildings and townhomes

The massive Sears department store that was once a staple of Riverside is set for demolition, sparking some debate amongst residents who say the planned use for the property isn't as simple as city leaders say. 

It's been boarded up since 2019, but before that it was a go-to spot for people who needed to get their shopping fix or appliances repaired for nearly 60 years.

The current plan in place is to turn the massive property, located at the corner of Arlington Avenue and Streeter Avenue, into a mixed-use development. That means the city is looking into building nearly 400 apartments, a grocery store, retail stores and restaurants. It was approved by Riverside City Council weeks ago, and since then has incited some debate amongst community members. 

Even though it's sat vacant for years, people are unsure that the property's best use is what the city is moving forward with. 

"Are you gonna build really cheap apartments that anybody can get in there and live? And then tear up and trash up? It's gonna be bad for us," said Martha Rocha, who has lived across the street from the property for more than three decades. 

According to a website detailing the specifics of the plan, the 388 apartments will feature a mix of three-story garden style and two-story townhome buildings. A 20,000 square-foot grocery space will be allocated to an Aldi while an additional 5,000 square-feet will go to retail and restaurant use. 

"The project's architectural style honors the existing Sears building designed by Charles Luckman," the website says. "Character defining features including boxed framing, strong horizontal lines, proportionality, color palette, and material aesthetics along with landscape elements have been translated into the proposed buildings to ensure that the mid-century legacy continues into the future."

Some people like Ryan Campbell have specific dreams for the restaurants that might soon be close to his house.

"In my dreams there's a Cheesecake Factory going in, but probably not," Campbell said. 

Others are more concerned about the potential impact on the ease of travel around the city. 

"To take my daughter to school could be a little hectic because of the traffic," said Fernando Valencia, another neighbor.

It's still unclear exactly when construction on the project will begin, but the first phase of apartments are slated to be completed in 2027.