Bass Pro is coming. No, really. Bass Pro is coming across the border to Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario.
After years of in-fighting, the plan for a Bass Pro on the Buffalo Waterfront died, leaving the nearest stores in the Finger Lakes and north of Toronto near Barrie.
But now, the sporting goods store chain is finding a new home in a vast new shopping center in Niagara-On-The-Lake.
It's a $178-million complex the Outlet Collection at Niagara.
The complex will feature eight-buildings, holding nearly one-hundred stores. It will be located just off the Queen Elizabeth Way, a shopping path of many Canadians heading for shopping Mecca's on the U.S. side of the border.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for Bass Pro Shops to place our third Canadian store in this beautiful part of Southern Ontario,” said Johnny Morris, Founder. “We are very excited to bring Bass Pro Shops to this premier site in Niagara-on-the-Lake and we are very grateful to developer Ivanhoé Cambridge for selecting Bass Pro Shops to be the premier anchor tenant in this extraordinary new retail development. We look forward to bringing Bass Pro Shops’ low prices and friendly expert service to the many sportsmen and women who live in the region. We are also excited to add to the momentum of an area that already draws millions of visitors each year,” Morris continued.
Walter Sendzik is CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.
Sendzik tells WBFO News it's a good location.
"They chose a location that's right off the highway and it's visible from the highway and so I think you're correct in that there will be an opportunity for people to see it as they are driving..thinking, hey maybe if we just stop here to see what's going on in this area. So, it is a good asset for us to have moving forward," said Sendzik.
Sendzik said it will also help the property tax in Niagara Region hit hard by losses of manufacturing and manufacturing jobs as on this side of the Niagara River.
Developer Ivanhoe Cambridge said the project is slated to be finished and open in exactly one-year.
"With two highly successful partnerships at Vaughan Mills and CrossIron Mills, securing Bass Pro Shops as an anchor tenant was the ideal fit for Ivanhoé Cambridge's newest development. The store's unique design and unforgettable shopping environment are parallel with the shopping experience we are bringing to Niagara-on-the-Lake," said David Baffa, Senior Vice President, Retail Development, Central Region, Ivanhoé Cambridge.
The new store will create 1,500 full and part-time jobs.
