Old Sears building transforming into outdoor shopping center at Merced Mall

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- After years of closures and construction, shoppers will soon see new developments at the Merced Mall.

From the demolition of the Sears building that has sat vacant for nearly a decade to construction crews making progress, the commercial epicenter of the city will soon be unrecognizable.

The 94-thousand square foot Sears store is transforming into a vibrant outdoor shopping area with well-known names including Burlington Coat Factory, Ulta, Petco, Five Below, Carter's, and Bath and Body Works.

Crews have been hard at work since December.

The job is estimated to cost about 20 million dollars.

Locals say the upgrades are long overdue for the mall, which has been a fixture in the city for 50 years.

"I would come here often with my parents and my siblings, and we would take Easter photos and Christmas photos and all the good things. It would be great to kind of see it a little more lively than what it was before," said one resident named Lupe.

Renovations originally started for the other side of the mall back in 2017, but the project was hit with several setbacks.

issues were related mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, increasing costs, and just the overall decline in in-person shopping..

The quiet walkways on the other side of the mall will soon also become busier, as developer Ethan Conrad Properties will be adding a brand new Boot Barn and a Vallarta supermarket.

New restaurants are also coming to the parking lot, including a Raising Cane's off of Olive Avenue.

It's all welcome news for Kerri Maciel, who's owned her jewelry shop in the mall for over 30 years.

"I'm in fact getting excited cause I just signed another five-year lease, so I will be here for another five years," said Maciel.

Maciel says with the mall's proximity to UC Merced and Merced College.

It's a vital part of the city's future.

We are a small community, so you still get the Hometown feeling. It's kind of like in the hay day. Downtown was a place to shop. We're bringing them back to the mall to have them shop here," said Maciel.

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