Bass Pro Shops will open a 100,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outpost store in Emerson, GA. as well as a 104,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in St. Johns County, FL to serve the Jacksonville area.

In Georgia, the new store is targeted to open in 2014 and will be a leading anchor of the recently announced 1,200-acre LakePoint Sporting Community & Town Center located at the Red Mountain and Emerson exits off Interstate 75. It has three other stores in the state in Macon, Savannah and Lawrenceville.

The LakePoint Sports Village will be one of the worlds largest and most unique amateur sports complexes and will feature 16 major league sized baseball fields, 14 soccer/lacrosse fields, 16 fast pitch softball and junior baseball fields, a 20-acre wake park, 2 Miracle League fields, and a 100,000-square-foot indoor facility for gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and other sports, as well as 5 million square feet of retail, hotels, restaurants and other amenities. The store will initially generate approximately 200 jobs which will be offered to the many outdoor enthusiasts in the Emerson area.

“We are very excited to be a part of this tremendous development that is destined to become one of Georgias top attractions and an inspiration for young people around the country to be able to excel in the sports they love, stated Johnny Morris, Founder of Bass Pro Shops. We look forward to offering a vast selection of high quality gear and Bass Pro Shops famous low prices combined with friendly, expert service to the sportsmen, women and kids who come to this state-of-the-art sports destination development.

We are very grateful to Neal Freeman and the LakePoint Development partners, Atlanta Braves former manager Bobby Cox, current Atlanta Braves manager Fredi González, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost and all the other good folks at LakePoint for the opportunity to be their feature outdoor retail store. Morris concluded.

Approximately 300 acres adjacent to the store will be developed as a nature park and it, as well as the store, will pay tribute to Georgias great outdoor heritage. The nature park will also be used for product testing and to host shooting, archery and outdoor activities for kids.

Bass Pro Shops will host over 120 million people visiting its 77 stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada this year.

In Florida, the new destination store will be located directly on I-95, 17 miles south of I-10 and I-95, at the new 9B and I-95 Interchange in North St. Johns County–a very high-profile site owned by Gate Petroleum Company.

Some 88,000 peak hour trips per day will pass in front of the new store site.  The store will be situated within a 40 acre area that includes a 14-acre lake that will be managed for trophy bass and youth and community events.  The new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store is targeted to open in the second quarter of 2014 subject to completion of the newly planned interchange and supporting road system.

The store will initially generate approximately 250 jobs which will be offered to the many outdoor enthusiasts in the Jacksonville area.

Were excited to open a store in St. Johns County on I-95-the ‘Gateway to Florida, stated Johnny Morris, Founder of Bass Pro Shops.  The new Bass Pro Shops Jacksonville Outdoor World will be an outdoor destination store that offers a broad selection of high quality gear at Bass Pro Shops low prices and famous friendly, expert service to area sportsmen and women as well as the millions of visitors to the Jacksonville area each year.

Its a beautiful site and we believe we have found the absolute best retail location in the Jacksonville area to build a new super outdoor store.  We are very grateful for the support of everyone at Gate Petroleum, St. Johns County and Governor Rick Scott for this wonderful opportunity, Johnny Morris concluded.

 

We are extremely pleased to have a partner such as Bass Pro Shops choose to make a Gate property their first entry into the North Florida market, said Herbert Peyton, Chairman and Founder of Gate Petroleum Company.  We are proud to have Johnny Morris, the owner of Bass Pro Shops, bring the hard fought success of his family- owned business to our community.  This is a hopeful sign for the economy of our area, Peyton continued.

We were all encouraged by the long awaited 9B / I-95 interchange being awarded this past August by the FDOT, said Cyndi Stevenson, St. Johns County Commissioner.  And now there could be no better example of the economic opportunities this major transportation improvement can bring to our State than this announcement by Bass Pro Shops.  We are honored to welcome such a prestigious corporate partner to St. Johns County. Bass Pros reputation for providing quality products and services will be a perfect fit for our community, their presence will enhance environmental tourism, and their programs will serve as a strong stewardship resource for our region, Stevenson added.

Bass Pro Shops opened its first Outpost store in Branson, MO in 2006 and it has been a tremendous hit with sportsmen.

Additionally new Bass Pro Shops outdoor stores have been announced for Anchorage, AL, Loveland, CO, Colorado Springs, CO; Atlantic City, NJ; Bristol, TN; Little Rock, AR; Memphis, TN; Bridgeport, CT and Sayreville, NJ.

Bass Pro Shops currently operates 77 retail stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada visited by over 120 million people annually.