Sears building will be 'retail center'

John Wright

A prominent downtown Coudersport building is undergoing a gradual transformation.

It's known most commonly as the "Sears Building," located on North Main Street, across from Old Hickory Lanes and adjacent to the Coudersport Theatre.

Earlier this year, Coudersport businessman John Wright purchased the property from the Adelphia estate. Soon, the renovations began, both inside and out.

Wright plans to convert the building to a multi-tenant retail center. The concept is growing in rural

communities where small or start-up retailers find that it's not financially feasible to operate in a stand-alone location.

With a retail center, the overhead costs - rent, utilities and even staffing - can be split among multiple businesses.

Major renovations have been done to the building's facade. Interior work is continuing.

The building at one time was split between a Sears catalogue store and the Coudersport Borough Office. It was later used by Adelphia Cable as a marketing.