Cabela's Inc. is in negotiations to build one of its large retail stores at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J. The 175,000-square-foot store could open in August, 2007, with construction scheduled to begin in August, 2006.

The store, part of the Meadowlands Xanadu sports, leisure, family entertainment and shopping complex, would be similar in size to the Cabela's retail showroom in Kansas City, Kan., and another scheduled to open in 2005 in Buda, Texas. The newest Cabela's store, a 176,000-square-foot facility in Wheeling, W.Va., opened August 12.

The Meadowlands store would be built in Cabela's trademark style mixing a decor of museum-quality animal displays with colorful dioramas, huge aquariums stocked with native fish and a centerpiece indoor mountain displaying trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats. Cabela's retail stores are known as top-notch education and entertainment destinations, many of which are the leading tourist attractions in their respective states.

To operate the new store, Cabela's would expect to employ as many as 500 people, who would join the Cabela's family of more than 8,000 employees. Employees are expected to come from East Rutherford and the surrounding area to join Cabela's family of staff members famous for their outdoor lifestyle and intimate knowledge of outdoor products.

“By combining everything the Cabela's retail experience offers with the excitement of the Meadowlands Xanadu complex, we can create the premier destination for sporting enthusiasts along the East Coast,” said Cabela's President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Highby. “We believe Cabela's is the perfect fit to bring the outdoors to the Meadowlands and with so many valued customers who live the Cabela's lifestyle nearby, we would expect this retail store to be an overwhelming success.”

“So many people are coming together to make this work,” Highby said. “We really appreciate the efforts of all the people, including the Mills Corporation and all the others who are working to make this happen.”