What Could Replace The Vacant Sears Building In Lufkin Mall?

Anytime a business closes down and leaves behind an empty shell of a building, there's always a discussion on what will occupy the vacant space. Sometimes, the space is filled quickly. Sometimes, it sits vacant for what feels like F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Sometimes, it's filled temporarily, or even seasonally.

That's the case with the old Sears location in the Lufkin Mall. Sears left, and the building still stands vacant - except for once a year when Spirit Halloween moves in with their costumes and spooky decor.

Y'all know me. I am forever thinking about what could be coming next for Deep East Texas, and what might make a good fit. It's just how my mind operates. So, I posed the question to the Facebook world: "What should move into the old Sears location in the Lufkin Mall? 'Spirit Halloween' answers don't count..." and let me tell you, the answers did not disappoint. The answers actually fell into three categories: Family Fun & Entertainment, Retail/Shopping, and - at least what I would call - Sarcasm and/or Not Needed.

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Family Fun & Entertainment

Right off the bat, there were multiple calls for indoor go-karts. I'll be honest, this one was never on my radar. I think it's a cool idea, though. There's not another one close to our area, so it would have a chance at doing well, I think.

There were also several comments on the desire to have an arcade. This is one that has been discussed several times over the years, especially after the Tilt arcade left the Lufkin Mall years ago. When it left, it was never replaced with anything quite like it.

Retail / Shopping

This one didn't have quite the pull that the family fun category had, but there were some ideas that had some potential in them. One idea pitched was for a sports and outdoors store, similar to Academy or Dick's. There was also a comment in there for the space to be made into an outlet mall, which could be different.

There was also an idea pitched for "a new HEB". I don't know if this was meant in sarcasm, considering the overhaul that just took place on the current HEB location or not, but it could be a legitimate idea, I suppose.

Sarcasm & What NOT to Put There

And, as always, you get the comments about what people don't want to have move in, or what will be put there because of how many other duplicates we already have. These were things like Dollar General or "...another boutique clothing shop that sells sequined tops..." There was even a comment about another coffee shop because of the thousands that were already in the area.

At the end of the day, I don't know that anything other than Spirit Halloween will be taking the old Sears location over anytime soon. But, we can dream, right? Be sure and check out some of the top ideas below: