Date set to open Academy Sports and Outdoors in Columbus; traffic signal on the way
Nearly two years after the planning phase led to its construction, a date has been set for Academy Sports and Outdoors to open its new store at 6700 Whittlesey Blvd., in the Columbus Park Crossing area of the city.
The expected opening date for the highly anticipated sporting goods and recreation lifestyle retailer is June 9, which is three weeks away on a Saturday. The 64,266-square-foot store has been under construction for about five months near the eastern end of Columbus Park, a major shopping, entertainment and dining hub.
Sam Johnson, Academy Sports’ executive vice president of retail operations, said in a recent release that the retailer is excited about coming to Columbus and serving area residents.
“Whether you’re gearing up for a day on the Chattahoochee, a run down the Riverwalk or a family barbeque, Academy Sports and Outdoors has the gear you need at an affordable price,” Johnson said in his statement.
Hammerford Development Company, a Houston, Texas-based commercial real estate firm, is developing the 16-acre property, with plans to lease it long term to Katy, Texas-based Academy Sports and Outdoors. Alpharetta, Ga.-based T.D. Farrell Construction is the general contractor.
Whether or not they plan to shop at the store, motorists who travel Whittlesey Boulevard between Moon Road and Veterans Parkway will face a stark adjustment to their driving pattern as the new outlet opens. A traffic signal will be installed at the entrance of Academy Sports and near the driveway that connects another parcel of land now being developed with a Fazoli’s restaurant and other businesses.
“They are working on the signal and we have been in contact with their engineer and the contractor installing it, and questions that they had, we’ve addressed them,” said Farhad AliFarhani, assistant director of engineering and traffic engineering manager with the Columbus Consolidated Government.
AliFarhani said the developer and its contractors are responsible for getting the traffic signal installed, as well as the acceleration and deceleration lanes that will be used by customers coming to and going from the new store. The signal is expected to be put in place before the store opens, he said.
“Once all the lights are installed, the public would be warned by the signal being in flash mode for a couple of days or so,” he said of motorists entering the area.
Currently, traffic headed west on Whittlesey Boulevard from Moon Road flows down a hill unimpeded, picking up some speed on a couple of curves prior to entering the main portion of Columbus Park Crossing. Drivers will need to become accustomed to being stopped often by the new signal.
While Academy Sports and Outdoors will be the anchor for the development, the 16-acre property also will have two outparcels for additional restaurants and retail businesses. Across the four-lane roadway, an Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom restaurant is being constructed next to Fazoli’s, and there are plans to build a convenience store and gas station on the site.
Founded in 1938, Academy Sports and Outdoors 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, Columbia and Magellan Outdoors. Hunting and fishing licenses will be sold, with other services available for outdoors enthusiasts.
The retailer, which employs about 100 people, also will be a direct competitor to Dick’s Sporting Goods, which has done business at Columbus Park Crossing more than a decade in an area of stores also anchored by Kohl’s. Dick’s operates at a higher price point for its merchandise, however.
This story was originally published May 18, 2018 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Date set to open Academy Sports and Outdoors in Columbus; traffic signal on the way."