Cabela's Incorporated announced that it is currently in negotiations to build one of its destination superstores in La Vista, Nebraska, part of the greater Omaha metro area. If ongoing negotiations for the project conclude successfully, Cabela's expects to open the retail showroom as early as fall 2006. The La Vista retail store would be Cabela's third store in Nebraska, the company's home state.
The store is currently planned as a 125,000 square-foot retail showroom and would be located on a portion of Southport West, a 137-acre mixed-use real estate development located along Interstate-80 at the Harrison Street interchange.
“A Cabela's showroom is a developers dream,” said Dennis Hoth, Managing Partner of Southport West Partners. “Thanks to the partnership we developed with the City of La Vista, we have a great opportunity to attract this world class company. Cabela's showrooms are an exemplary economic development generator and we have made considerable concessions to our business plan to accommodate this tourism-oriented destination retailer.”
In addition to the Cabela's retail store, the Southport West development also will feature three hotels comprising 600 total guest rooms and an 80,000-square-foot convention center. The 260-suite Embassy Suites Hotel®, 220-room Courtyard® by Marriott®, 120-room Residence Inn® by Marriott® and the anchoring convention center will be managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC, the nation's leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites.
The convention center is a joint venture between John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts and the City of La Vista. Construction of the hotels and convention center is slated to begin in March of 2006, and they are scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. A retail-oriented Lifestyle Center offering additional shopping and dining and several other parcels slated for future development also are planned.
“Cabela's was born in western Nebraska, and we are thrilled to be able to bring the Cabela's experience to our many great customers in the eastern part of the state and the rest of the region,” said Dennis Highby, Cabela's president and CEO. “Despite some of the challenges we've encountered while working on this complex project, we've worked with the developer and local partners to make this store a reality for our customers. Southport West has really stepped up to the plate to make this a workable deal where it otherwise couldn't have happened.”
“I am very proud of this company and feel fortunate that we have an opportunity to add hundreds of new Nebraska employees to the Cabela's family of employees,” added Highby. “Southport West will bring top-notch shopping, dining and entertainment to eastern Nebraska, and the Cabela's store will serve as a genuine tourism draw and source of pride for many years to come. A Cabela's showroom of this magnitude in the proposed location will capture millions in beneficial tax dollars that may have otherwise left the State.”
To operate this new store, Cabela's expects to employ as many as 350 people from La Vista, Omaha and the surrounding area. They will join the Cabela's family of employees who are famous for delivering excellent customer service, living the outdoor lifestyle and possessing an intimate knowledge of outdoor gear. Product offerings would include hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating and wildlife watching gear, as well as outdoor clothing and outdoors-styled gifts and furnishings.
Other Cabela's stores in Nebraska include the company's flagship retail showroom in Sidney, site of the company's world headquarters in the western panhandle, and Kearney, in the south-central part of the state.
Cabela's currently has 13 retail locations nationwide. The newest, a 170,000-square-foot store in Lehi, Utah, opened Aug. 25, 2005. Currently under construction is an 185,000-square-foot store in Rogers, Minn., which will open in October, 2005. Cabela's also has announced plans to open stores in Gonzales, La., Glendale, Ariz., and Richfield, Wis., in 2006; and Reno, Nev., Wheat Ridge, Colo., East Rutherford, N.J., and East Hartford, Conn., in 2007.
