NEW YORK CITY-It’s counter intuitive to think of store closures as a good thing. In the case of Sears, though, maybe everyone would be better off if they just started the process.

“Sears does not need the space it has today,” asserted Simon Property Group Chairman and CEO David Simon during his company’s presentation yesterday at the REITWeek conference. In the case of Simon, the closings would be beneficial because better retailers could reclaim the space that Sears leaves behind, making its malls more productive.

Simon’s insights came at this who’s who of major commercial real estate companies. The event gives investors and other attendees an upfront view of these firms and what’s on the minds of their top executives.