South Coast Plaza Sears Gets a New Look After 30 Years

The Sears, Roebuck & Co. store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is getting a new look--just in time for the building’s 30th birthday.

“This is the original design, and with the exception of some painting and what-have-you over the years, it’s pretty much what it looked like when the store opened in October 1966,” said Sears General Manager Jim Chiuminatta.

The old design “was really dated,” Chiuminatta said. “It’s been in need of a new look for some time.”

Sears hired a local architect--Architects Pacifica in Irvine--rather than using a firm from out of town, Chiuminatta said, “so it will have a real nice California flair. We’ve got a great corner here and this will be a nice 30th birthday present.”

The outside renovation, which follows an internal rehabilitation completed just over a year ago, is scheduled to be finished in late July.

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Greg Johnson covers retail businesses and restaurants for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5950 and at greg.johnson@latimes.com