Changes in store for major piece of Sunrise Mall. How it fits into the mall’s future
A key part of Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights has a new owner, just as plans are moving along to redevelop the aging shopping center into housing, retail, restaurants and an entertainment center.
Sacramento investor and commercial real estate firm Ethan Conrad Properties finalized a purchase of the empty Sears building on Tuesday, paying just under $7 million for the 21-acre site, company president and CEO Ethan Conrad said. The buildings on the site total roughly 280,000 square feet, including the three-story department store and an auto repair shop.
Conrad said he’s already been approached by potential tenants interested in the space, including “a variety of big box retailers and drive-through tenants.”
“The main store will undoubtedly be significantly modified,” he said. His goal is to “make it a better building with better tenants that would benefit the community.”
Conrad called the property a “great retail location.” The former Sears building stands on the southern side of Sunrise Mall, close to Sunrise Boulevard.
Sunrise Mall was a suburban Sacramento destination for a generation. It defined Citrus Heights as the community began to boom in the 1970s, but the mall has faded in recent years and is now roughly 50% vacant, according to city officials.
Citrus Heights officials began working on the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan in 2019, aiming to redefine the mall. The plan approved by the City Council last year would allow up to 2,200 units of housing, restaurants, breweries, employment centers and an outdoor entertainment venue on the 100-acre site. It allows for up to 300,000 square feet of retail space, meaning a new retail tenant at the former Sears site could be permitted.
Last month, a developer applied to designate part of the property for a potential hotel. The Sunrise plan allows for up to three hotels.
Conrad also recently purchased two other closed Sears buildings: a store in the Northridge Mall in Salinas and the closed Sears in the Florin Towne Center in south Sacramento.
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 6:06 PM.