A former anchor to Windsor-Essex's largest shopping mall will soon be no more.
Devonshire Mall General Manager Chris Savard has confirmed that the mall's former Sears, which anchored the north end of the complex, will be demolished. Work is expected to begin later in the spring.
"This is an exciting time for Devonshire Mall, as this is the beginning of the long-awaited redevelopment of the Sears parcel," said Savard in an email to WindsorNewsToday.ca. "This change will create a wonderful development site on an expansive area of 18.5 acres."
The Devonshire Mall Sears closed its doors in January 2018 after Sears Canada ceased operations. The store had been part of the mall's original lineup when it opened in 1970.
Since its closure, the space has housed a Halloween pop-up store and a mass vaccination site during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Savard also confirmed that changes will be coming to the site.
"A new mall entrance will be created on the north end of the building and a number of spaces in the northeast quadrant will be re-demised to make way for a new, exciting large format tenant," said Savard. "Talks are progressing nicely for a number of new dramatic and compelling uses for this new site."
Savard also announced that the mall will be adding a Canadian Brew House, a Miniso store, and a Today Café. All three should be open by early fall 2024.