This article ran in the Sun the other day:
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Unlike the fish that got away, the soon-to-open Bass Pro Shops is truly enormous.
The outdoor-equipment retailer boasts unconventional amenities, such as an archery range, trout stream and fudge-making room.
At 193,000 square feet, it is 40,000 square feet bigger than its Las Vegas counterpart - now the closest Bass Pro Shops to Southern California.
Calling this a store would be akin to describing Disneyland as a quaint fair.
The hard-to-miss Bass Pro Shops at Victoria Gardens will open its doors to the public July 18 for an "Evening for Conservation."
Half of the proceeds from sales that evening will go toward the More Fish Campaign launched by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The retailer opens at 8 a.m. the following day to kick off its long opening weekend.
The Rancho Cucamonga location is the first California store for the Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops, which has 42 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Officials have found it hard to predict how many visitors will come to this haven for sportsmen. Chartered buses have already been scheduled to arrive from as far away as Sacramento.
Mike Nelson, economic-development manager for Rancho Cucamonga, said with a higher concentration of anglers and hunters in the coastal states, the store will be tapping into a huge market that has been underserved.
"Why they weren't here sooner, I don't know," said Nelson.
Construction delays have pushed back the grand-opening date from June to July. Now, the sound of electric saws and staple guns permeates throughout the behemoth of a building.
Even the fish are getting ready.
Several schools of bass, crappie and bluegill are acclimating to their new aquarium.
Muralists have paint brushes in hand, making the final touches in hopes that shoppers will come with credit cards in hand.
When it comes to merchandise, there's plenty to buy here - from walking shoes for the Pacific Electric Trail to long rifles for a Kenyan safari.
"We have a catfish section that's bigger than the entire store at other places," bragged merchandise manager Jim Smith.
The retailer is expected to bring the city $750,000 to $1 million a year in sales-tax revenue, Nelson said.
Smith said the operation in its first year will undergo quite a learning curve.
Officials know that the outdoor market is a sizeable one but there isn't a California retailer that compares to the scope of Bass Pro Shops.
Outdoor enthusiasts are purchasing much of their gear online so whether the store's saltwater-fishing department will be more popular than the archery department is a mystery for the time being.
"In the first year, the sportsmen will be coming out of the woodwork," Smith said.
Other store highlights include a rock-climbing wall, boat showroom and service center, shooting range, the Islamorada Fish Company restaurant that seats 300 people and two waterfalls that make their way to a trout pond.
The fish, along with the animals depicted in murals and mounted on walls, are native to California, and their presence helps blur the line between retail store and natural-history museum.
Muralist Bob Sopchick has been conducting research on Big Bear and Joshua Tree areas in preparation for the giant painting that will greet visitors in the entry way. He said depicting the region's wildlife helps make this a "neighborhood store."
City officials are gearing up for an opening weekend of proportions far grander than for a neighborhood store.
Parking is expected to cause some headaches even if the Bass Pro Shops parking lot can accommodate 900 vehicles. The city is looking into using nearby schools and vacant lots for parking and getting shuttles to transport shoppers.
The city's advice - you're better off car-pooling.
Bass Pro Shops at Victoria Gardens is at 7777 Victoria Gardens Lane, adjacent to the 15 Freeway.
For more information, visit
www.basspro.com.
