BASS PRO SHOPS: The latest to set its sights on Victoria Gardens is expected to open in 2007.
11:09 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 16, 2005
By DEVONA WELLS / The Press-Enterprise
Rivaling the size of Macy's and Robinsons-May, a giant hunting and fishing emporium is expected to land at Victoria Gardens.
Rancho Cucamonga officials announced Tuesday that Bass Pro Shops would open a 180,000-square-foot store fronting Interstate 15. Mall marketing director Glenn Miller declined comment.
It would be Southern California's first Bass Pro location -- a store where shoppers can learn archery, watch salespeople demonstrate fishing rods at an on-site pond, check out an indoor aquarium or grab lunch.
The store would join a swelling roster of retailers gravitating to the Inland Empire, many of which have chosen Victoria Gardens since the mall opened less than a year ago.
Construction of the store is expected to start within six months to ready it for a 2007 opening, city officials said.
Nearly 70 percent of Bass Pro will be dedicated to equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, fishing and other outdoor activities, Tuesday's release said. A boat showroom and service center is slated to cover more than a tenth of the store.
Some of the company's other 27 locations feature waterfalls and indoor rope bridges, according to its Web site. Company officials couldn't be reached late Tuesday.
Bass Pro would sit just a few blocks from Recreational Equipment Inc., known as REI, which carries some of the same outdoor-centric gear.
Rather than hurt business, REI spokesman Mike Foley said late Tuesday that having Bass Pro nearby could help boost interest in cycling, camping and climbing -- a benefit for both stores.
"I think it's a good sign the outdoor recreation community is growing in that area," he said.
Expectations for the mega-store are high at City Hall. The city's release said Bass Pro could deliver more than $1 million in sales taxes to the city. That would be one-third of what the city projected all of Victoria Gardens would bring in by 2008, before it knew Bass Pro was going there, Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels said.
The store also could push the distance that people will drive to shop in the city, Daniels said. A typical mall can expect a 15- or 20-mile draw, but Bass Pro pulls outdoor enthusiasts from as far as 100 miles away, she said.
Plus, it will predominantly bring men, she said.
"You can have the male shopper fitting his needs while the family enjoys Victoria Gardens," she said.
Reach reporter Devona Wells at (951) 368-9559 or
dwells@pe.com
