Sears Holdings Announces Plans For Mixed-Use Development In Aventura

AVENTURA, Fla., Nov. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) has submitted plans to the City of Aventura for the redevelopment of the Sears property at Aventura Mall into an exciting open-air village that will feature retail, restaurants, offices and a hotel.

Esplanade at Aventura will be a complete redevelopment of the 12.3 acres owned by Sears Holdings that currently features a Sears full-line store, Sears Auto Center and adjacent surface parking areas. The proposed new development will include approximately 250,000 square feet of quality retail and restaurants, 45,000 square feet of office space, a  hotel, and both subgrade and above-grade parking structures. Sears will retain a presence in a 20,000-square-foot smaller-format store. 

Esplanade at Aventura was designed by San Francisco- and Miami-based SB Architects, whose notable projects include Santana Row in San Jose, Calif., and the Design District in Miami. The development will feature a contemporary open-air collection of shops and restaurants, envisioned as a vibrant shopping and entertainment village that complements the mall's indoor offerings yet provides its own unique destination. Although entitlement of the project is now officially underway, the delivery date for the project has not been finalized.

Sears Holdings has retained JLL Retail to lease the project.

"With a location adjacent to one of the most successful malls in the nation, we have high expectations for Esplanade at Aventura and its ability to draw a unique offering of local, national and international retail concepts looking for a showcase presence in the dynamic South Florida market," said Steve Yenser, executive vice president of JLL Retail. "Esplanade at Aventura will also provide an incredible venue for a collection of exciting restaurants that leverage South Florida's existing culinary talent and offer a destination for other innovative concepts that are new to the market."

Esplanade at Aventura will use extensive shading and cooling strategies to create a comfortable and engaging space that embraces and addresses the South Florida climate, and enables guests to enjoy open-air shopping and patio dining year-round.

"We are confident that we can deliver a convenient, day-to-day town center experience for local residents while also catering to the regional, national and international customers that frequent Aventura," said Paul D'Arelli, development advisor for Sears Holdings.   

Esplanade at Aventura supports Sears Holdings' strategy to repurpose existing real estate assets and is another example of how it is transforming one of the largest retail real estate portfolios in the United States.

"Sears Holdings proactively looks for opportunities to create long term shareholder value from its real estate holdings," said Jeff Stollenwerck, president of Real Estate for Sears Holdings. "Our owned real estate adjacent to Aventura Mall, one of the largest and most successful malls in the country, provides a significant platform for shareholder value creation, and we have a vision for the property that dramatically improves the overall retail experience for our Shop Your Way members and all future guests who visit Esplanade at Aventura. We look forward to executing on the plans submitted to the City of Aventura today."

About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is a leading integrated retailer focused on seamlessly connecting the digital and physical shopping experiences to serve our members – wherever, whenever and however they want to shop. Sears Holdings is home to Shop Your Way^®, a social shopping platform offering members rewards for shopping at Sears and Kmart as well as with other retail partners across categories important to them. The company operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation, with full-line and specialty retail stores across the United States. For more information, visit www.searsholdings.com.

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: 
Sears Holdings Public Relations
(847) 286-8371

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation