I agree with Lisa Gray – the old Sears store on Main Street at Wheeler is pretty darned ugly. It’s just that I don’t think it stands out in its ugliness, any more than something its size would expect to stand out. That area is dominated by the overpass for US59. Ugliness and freeway overpasses go hand in hand in this town, which is why the pressure neighborhoods put on TxDOT to put more of 59 below ground when they renovated a few years back was such a good thing. It’s just a shame that didn’t extend farther north, up closer to the Pierce Elevated (speaking of concentrated ugly) where the three-freeway junction renders any other aesthetic consideration moot.
Now, if the preservationists can succeed in convincing Sears to restore the place to its original Art Deco look, that would be awesome and a huge improvement. But it would only be a beginning for the beautification of that area. And as long as that overpass is there, I daresay there will be only so much that can be done.
I worked for Sears and was in that store for over 5 years back in the early 60’s…
The few times I drive by it brings back memories of a time gone by…