Daily Nonpareil's story of the year: Bass Pro

[eomaha]

C.B. lures a big one: Bass Pro

In 2004, Council Bluffs positioned itself to become more than just a pit stop dotting the Midwest landscape, and took yet another step toward becoming a travel destination.

On June 22, Council Bluffs received word that the big fish had been landed; Bass Pro Shops announced that Council Bluffs was selected as the next city where it would build an outdoor superstore.

Bass Pro's announcement came after a lengthy courtship that brought out the best in this riverside community. Numerous entities and people were involved in the 18-month process to land the retail giant.

The announcement that Bass Pro will build a retail outlet in Council Bluffs was chosen as the Story of the Year because we believe it will make a significant impact on the city, Nonpareil Publisher Tom Schmitt said.

"It is the catch that will bring much more to the city than one retailer. It will, The Nonpareil believes, bring more changes than any other single event in recent years," he said.

It all started in 2002, when Heartland Properties associate broker Gail Hunter sent overnight packages of information and photos of the Mid-America Center area to 13 companies. Heartland Properties was busily marketing the area for further development.

One of the companies Hunter mailed the information to was Bass Pro Shops.

"I'm an outdoorsman, and I like that aspect," Hunter said. "We also have a large concentration of hunters and fishermen."

Bass Pro Shops was one of two companies that responded to his mailings, and company officials came a few weeks later to tour the area.

After months of negotiations, the dream became a reality.

Excitement gripped the community on that June afternoon.

"This is a wonderful day for the region," said Jerry Mathiasen, associate director of the Iowa West Foundation. "It's a real step in the right direction to make this area a retail and tourist destination."

Todd Graham, the foundation's executive director, added, "This project is the next step in the whole Mid-America Center area development. It will be an important retail anchor to attract other retail stores."

The Council Bluffs Betterment Foundation, the economic development arm of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce that developed the Mid-America Center, secured a construction loan of approximately $20 million to fund a portion of the Bass Pro store's construction cost.

Bass Pro will also pay a portion of the construction cost, said public relations manager Larry Whiteley.

The Iowa West Foundation and the Southwest Iowa Foundation were intricately involved in the deal. The two organizations donated 20 acres to the city for the new store and other developments, Graham said. Iowa West is also committing $2.5 million in the form of an economic development grant.

Pottawattamie County will also play a role in the financing of the construction. The Board of Supervisors approved an economic development grant of more than $2.6 million in July.

The Council Bluffs City Council played the largest role in the deal. At their May 11 meeting, they voted to move forward with issuance of up to $17 million in urban renewal notes for the area around the Mid-American Center.

"It gives us the opportunity to give an economic development grant or financial support for retail," Councilman Matt Walsh said at the time.

When the building is completed, it will be purchased by the city, with the Betterment Foundation's 20-year lease agreement with Bass Pro assigned to the city.

The city will use proceeds from the sale of $17 million in urban renewal notes combined with the grant from the Iowa West Foundation to purchase the building, with the Iowa West Foundation agreeing to guarantee payments on the notes.

More than a dozen cities have lined up in the past three years to try and land the rapidly expanding company.

Council Bluffs joins Mesa, Ariz.; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Garland, Texas; Denham Springs, La.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Pearl, Miss., in shelling out millions to lure in the retail jackpot that never ends.

Those cities offered incentive-laden packages ranging from $17 million (Oklahoma City) to $80 million (Buffalo), with the average package being worth $39.6 million to draw the retailer to their locale.

The initial financial expenditure is daunting, but the silver lining is in the store's drawing power.

An estimated 2.5 million people will visit the Council Bluffs store annually, according to Bass Pro Shops officials. That averages out to about 3,000 to 4,000 customers per day during the week and 12,000 to 14,000 per day on weekends.

Their other stores attract 63 million people annually. And the Bass Pro store in Springfield, Mo., is considered that state's top tourist attraction.

"This is something that we in the community have looked forward to for quite some time," said Mayor Tom Hanafan. "Having Bass Pro Shops solidifies this area and will draw tourism to town."

Mayors in other towns have agreed with Hanafan's assessment. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said that having Bass Pro Shops in his city was the "equivalent of having a home baseball game 365 days a year."

Grading work on the 134,000-square-foot facility began at the end of November.

Whiteley said that the store is tentatively set to open Sept. 1, 2005.

"That's assuming that the weather cooperates with us this winter and spring," he added.

The outdoor superstore will feature more than 100,000-square-feet of retail space, including an expansive boat showroom. A natural habitat aquarium will be stocked with native species of fish and sit prominently in the middle of the store.

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will feature the traditional Adirondack-style lodge surroundings, but Whiteley said that the Council Bluffs store will be unique.

"We have had our people researching the area, and they will develop a unique theme; and the whole store will carry that motif," he said. "You will definitely know that you are in Council Bluffs and not one of our other stores."

A nearly 2-acre lake will be located on the southeast corner of the property. The lake may be from 8- to 10-feet deep to allow fish to live in it.

The museum-quality mounts and displays will also be a featured area of emphasis.

More than just a fishing and hunting store, Outdoor World will also offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.

"Bass Pro Shops will provide a significant boost for the entire Mid-American complex," said City Councilman Chad Primmer. "This is the type of project that the average tax payer will definitely benefit from."

Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce president Bob Mundt said that the future looks bright for the area.

A major restaurant franchise, Famous Dave's, has already committed to opening in the Plaza, and interest in a water park and another hotel continue to be brought up.

With all of the new development that should sprout from the soil once construction begins on Outdoor World, perhaps the Mid-American Center area will be the story of the year in 2005 as well.

[Ingersoll1978]

I really hope this pans out as planned for Council Bluffs.

[DMRyan]

With the amount of people that visit these "Outdoor Worlds" shown above, the project shouldn't have any problems being a success. It'll be a nice retail attraction for Iowa and the Omaha-CB metro.

Story of the year?

After months of negotiations, the dream became a reality.

Excitement gripped the community on that June afternoon.

Give me a break.

[icejammer]

Give me a break.

Hey, it's the Nonpaper, I mean Nonpareil, give 'em a break. At least they didn't have the usual spelling typos in this story. Besides, if it wasn't for Bass Pro, the story of the year would have been Best Buy opening.

[eomaha]

Bass Pro means ALOT to the retail/restaurant pads at the Mid America Center. If something like this didn't come... they may have never leased these spaces.

[PistolPete]

This was an excellent pick-up for CB and will help that vacant area, but give me a break about it being a big deal. Bass Pro Shops is expanding very rapidly and isn't the selective chain it used to be. I would not be one bit surprised to see another Bass Pro pop up in West O or Lincoln. Bass Pro will probably also look at Des Moines and Sioux City. They now have different format stores for smaller markets and have two stores proposed in Kansas City alone. Cabela's seems to be more of a destination selective retailer than Bass Pro.

[eomaha]

Actually it is a big deal. Not so much for bringing a Bass Pro to the Omaha market... but giving The Plaza at Mid America Center a badly needed boost (this place has been sitting empty for how long now... waiting for an anchor like this). And while they are indeed becoming increasingly accessible in numbers... I have no doubt it will nonetheless be a big deal to fishing/hunting enthusiasts in the area.