Final farewell to Eaton's / Sears white walls

Did you hear the sound of Vancouverites cheering in downtown this morning? It's probably because the last of the much-maligned white panels that covered the exterior of the Sears building at Pacific Centre was finally removed and taken away. The final panel (one of 473 that formerly covered the building) weighed in at 10,600 pounds and was removed in a joint operation between Cadillac Fairview, Ledcor, and Pacific Blasting & Demolition.

A full 91% of the materials (a total of 6.8 million kg) recovered from the demolition of the former Sears building are going to be repurposed or recycled. The white panels have found a new home at Langley Airport where they are being used in the construction of a roadway.

The redevelopment of Pacific Centre includes a flagship Nordstrom, 10-15 new retailers at Pacific Centre mall level, and 4 floors of large plate office space at 725 Granville. Expected opening is 2015.