Academy Sports and Outdoors is pushing hard on completion of new Columbus store
Another very visible milestone has been reached in the construction of the Academy Sports and Outdoors store in Columbus, with crews installing the primary signage above its front doors this week, along with the building’s signature red, white and blue striping.
The sporting goods retailer is aiming for a late spring or early summer opening of its 64,266-square-foot store that is near the eastern end of Whittlesey Boulevard, adjacent to North Highland Church, the property’s former owner.
When Academy Sports and Outdoors does make its debut, it will be the 17th location in Georgia, with the closest store now in Auburn, Ala., 37 miles west of the future Columbus outlet. The privately owned company based in Katy, Texas, operates more than 240 stores in all.
The Columbus location is expected to employ about 100, with Academy’s careers page now listing only two positions — receiving team member and outdoor enthusiast — down from an array of full- and part-time job listings in early March that included sales, logistics, merchandising, operations, inventory control, asset protection, cashiers and custodians.
The next step in the project will be development of the remainder of what has been dubbed “Whittlesey Commons,” with two outparcels fronting the store on Whittlesey Boulevard and The Shopping Center Group out of Atlanta now marketing the property. The site plan includes 1.5 acres fronting Whittlesey Boulevard that appears earmarked for one tenant, possibly a restaurant, and 1.7 acres for a multi-tenant building that marketing renderings indicate could include a cafe, shoe store, clothing outlet and other shops.
Alpharetta, Ga.-based T.D. Farrell Construction is the general contractor on the project. The company is a prolific builder that has handled retail projects across the U.S. for clients such as Academy Sports, Belk, Best Buy, Burlington, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Publix. Its website currently lists its only other current Georgia project as a Costco store in Woodstock, north of Atlanta.
When the Columbus store is finished, the contractor will turn it over to Hammerford Development Company, the Houston, Texas-based commercial real estate company that is developing the 16-acre property, with plans to long-term lease it to Academy Sports and Outdoors. There should be about 300 parking spots for customers.
Prior to Academy Sports’ opening, a traffic signal will be installed to handle the influx of vehicles frequenting the store and other businesses around it, as well as those moving to and from the main Columbus Park Crossing shopping and restaurant area farther west on Whittlesey Boulevard.
Dating to 1938, Academy Sports and Outdoors is a recreation and outdoors goods retailer that sells merchandise at what it calls “every day low prices.” Goods available for purchase include leisure items such as barbecue grills, athletic apparel and footwear, hunting, fishing and camping gear. Brands it carries include Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, YETI and Columbia.
This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Academy Sports and Outdoors is pushing hard on completion of new Columbus store."