Officials Say Sears Won’t Leave Esplanade Until November ’99

OXNARD — Hoping to put a positive spin on a bad situation, Oxnard city officials announced that Sears will remain at The Esplanade mall through October 1999, despite the store’s plans to eventually move to the Buenaventura Mall.

But Steve Chase, assistant to the Ventura city manager, said the news release “very cleverly designs a story that is old news.”

He said Sears has already sold its 16 acres at The Esplanade to help provide capital for its move to Ventura--clearly indicating its intention to leave.

And he noted that city officials had not expected Sears to move to the Buenaventura Mall until 1999 anyway.

“There is a window of opportunity,” he said. “They [Sears] could elect to operate both stores or wait until October to move. But Sears is essentially signed and ready to go.”

Still, The Esplanade’s owner, Craig Scheidt, said the relocation delay would give The Esplanade more time to plan for its future without the two anchor stores.

“We are committed to the city of Oxnard and to our mission to maintain the mall as Oxnard’s prime retail shopping center, and this agreement with Sears strengthens our position,” Scheidt said.

Councilman Dean Maulhardt said in the news release that he hoped Sears would change its mind about leaving.

“Sears has always been important to Oxnard and we are pleased that they are reevaluating their position and hope they will remain in our city forever,” he said.

The Oxnard City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to appeal a recent court decision that ruled against Oxnard in its struggle to keep Sears and Robinsons-May from moving to the Buenaventura Mall.

City officials estimate that The Esplanade generates more than $600,000 worth of sales tax revenue a year, with more than $200,000 of that coming from the two department stores.