Bass Pro Shops to Open 13th Florida Store in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bass Pro Shops, an outdoor retailer specializing in hunting, fishing, camping and other related outdoor gear, is proud to announce plans for a new store in Gainesville, Florida. The Bass Pro Shops retail attraction will be located on the northwest quadrant of Interstate 75 and Archer Road. It will be the primary anchor for Celebration Pointe, a one-million-square-foot mixed use development that will include retail, restaurants, entertainment, a hotel and residential units. The new 80,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Sportsman’s Center store is slated to open in 2016.

Bass Pro Shops Sportsman’s Center in Gainesville, Florida.This will be the company’s 13th store in Florida as they currently operate nine stores in the state; while locations have been announced for Brandon/Tampa, St. John’s County/Jacksonville, and Daytona recently.

“Having the opportunity to build a super outdoor store directly fronting I-75 will allow us to bring Bass Pro Shops low prices and famous friendly, expert service to serve the many sportsmen, women as well as the visitors to this area each year,” said Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. “This retail attraction will be a tribute to the great sporting tradition and heritage of the region and a celebration of the sporting men and women of Florida.”

Gainesville is the county seat for Alachua County and is the largest city in the north central Florida region. Home to the University of Florida, the nation’s eighth largest university campus by enrollment, Gainesville has been ranked as one of the best places to live and play in the United States by National Geographic Adventure. The area’s humid, subtropical climate makes it ideally suited for dense, lush trees of many species-thereby earning the title of a “Tree City, USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

As part of the Celebration Pointe Development, the Bass Pro Shops Sportsman’s Center will sit amongst more than 100 acres of a permanent conservation area along the western portion of the property. When combined with the 460-acre Lake Kanapaha conservation area and the 240-acre Split Rock conservation area, the total will be 800 acres of scenic nature preserve surrounding the project.

More than 100,000 vehicles will pass by the new Gainesville Bass Pro Shops Sportsman’s Center each day enroute to the area’s many outdoor opportunities.

“When we ascribed the vision for Celebration Pointe, we could not have hoped for a more perfect tenant to serve in the spotlight as the primary anchor,” said Ralph Conti, one of the partners in Celebration Pointe Development Partners. “Bass Pro Shops is exactly the type of tenant that we can build off to create the type of environment we hoped for. They are a storied franchise with a history of being a world-class operator; giving back to the community; caring for the environment; and being a great neighbor. Celebration Pointe and indeed Gainesville, as well as all of the surrounding communities, will be the beneficiary of all that Bass Pro offers.”

Nationally, Bass Pro Shops will host more than 116 million people visiting their 85 stores and marine centers across America and Canada this year. The average customer stays 2 ½ hours and drives an average distance of 50+ miles. Bass Pro Shops was named by Advertising Age magazine as one of the Top 10 Hottest Brands in America along with name brands such as Old Spice, M&M’s, iPad and Droid. Also, Bass Pro Shops has been recognized numerous times for their conservation and outdoor education efforts, as well as being recognized by J.D. Power & Associates for their customer service excellence.

“We are excited Bass Pro Shops is coming to Alachua County, Florida and has chosen to locate in the Celebration Pointe development,” said Lee Pinkoson, Chairman of the Alachua County Commission. “Over the past several years, the County has worked closely with the Developer of Celebration Pointe in his efforts to develop this innovative project. Bass Pro Shops is just the type of catalyst that will attract other business to locate in our community and enhance overall economic development within Alachua County. We welcome Bass Pro Shop to our community and look forward to the opening of this exciting project.”

Bass Pro Shops unique, award-winning, mega-sized outdoor stores are known for combining retail with entertainment, conservation and outdoor education. More than just a fishing and hunting store, the Bass Pro Shops store will also offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, and other related outdoor gear. A gift and nature center features a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture. Expansive boat showrooms offer Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe, Grizzly and Mako boats built by Tracker Marine Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing boats.

Bass Pro Shops Dedication to Conservation
Bass Pro Shops lodge-like exteriors and outdoor-themed interiors make them popular with customers. The outdoors feel is brought indoors through massive log and rock work, large indoor aquariums and water features stocked with native fish species as well as an extensive collection of museum quality fish and wildlife mounts. Historic photos and exhibits will pay tribute to the region’s great outdoor heritage.

Since the beginning, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris has been dedicated to inspiring people, especially youth and families, to love, enjoy and conserve the great outdoors. That commitment, demonstrated over the course of several decades, is a big reason why Bass Pro Shops is known as the outdoor industry’s corporate conservation leader. Bass Pro Shops’ has partnered with and supports the efforts of many organizations that work to conserve and manage the nation’s natural resources. The company’s key conservation initiatives include fish and wildlife habitat improvements, conservation and outdoor skills education, improving water quality and quality of our lakes and springs, and conservation advocacy.

Visit this link to see a video showcasing a Bass Pro Shops store: http://youtu.be/Nib4BEQl2-k.
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