This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on July 30, 2025.
For decades, the Sears tower loomed over Boyle Heights.
The 10-story, Art Deco complex, which once served as a mail-order warehouse, became a shopping hub for Eastsiders looking for clothing and household appliances. But in recent years, the landmark has stood at the center of debates over gentrification, homelessness and what the future of Boyle Heights would look like…