Sears seeks tenants for suburban properties

Sears Holdings Corp. is trying to find tenants to lease eight Sears and Kmart stores in the suburbs, according to a published report.

The stores include Sears locations at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale and on Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake, and Kmart stores in Round Lake Beach, Lansing, Homewood, Tinley Park, New Lenox and Rockford, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

Crain’s reported that Sears may be “laying the groundwork” to close the stores by hiring Mid-America Real Estate Corp. of Oakbrook Terrace to market the properties.

In a statement, Sears spokesman Howard Riefs said “engaging a broker in and of itself is not tantamount to closing a store.”

“Sears Holdings has a long and successful history of value creation through the inclusion of complementary retailers, out-parcel development and alternative uses within our large asset footprint,” Riefs said. “We continue to serve our members and customers in the Chicago area as we have in the past.”

Bloomingdale Village Administrator Marty Bourke said he had not heard anything about the closing of the Sears store at Stratford Square.

Round Lake Beach Mayor Richard Hill said the Kmart store has been for sale but wasn’t aware it would be closing.