Cabela's Coming to Fort Worth

[gc]

Cabela's coming to Fort Worth
David Giddens - Staff Writer
http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/05/10/daily44.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Predictions of 6 million tourists per year and hundreds of millions of dollars in ancillary development were tossed liberally about Fort Worth City Council chambers Friday, as Cabela's officially declared its intention to open one of its signature retail outdoor outfitter stores in the city's northern Interstate 35W corridor by June 2005.

The Sidney, Neb.-based retailer will break ground this month on a 230,000-square-foot store on a 50-acre site at I-35W and SH 170, according to Dave Roehr, executive vice president for Cabela's Inc.

The company also announced it will build a second, 185,000-square-foot store in the Hill Country town of Buda, just south of Austin.

Cabela's Fort Worth location will be the second largest of 11 others across the nation. It will feature a 40-foot mountain replica in its open showroom, waterfalls, a 65,000-gallon aquarium stocked with native fish, a gun library, and wildlife displays and dioramas. Company officials assert the theme has worked well for their other locations, and that its stores have turned into top tourist attractions in Michigan and Kansas.

Fort Worth officials recently signed off on a tax incentive package that could be worth up to $40 million to lure the popular retailer to the city. The store is expected to provide up to 500 full-time and part-time jobs.

"Cabela's represents a $50 million investment in north Fort Worth, and will serve as a catalyst for over $700 million during the next several years," Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief said, while wearing his newly acquired Cabela's ball cap.

Gov. Rick Perry, also on hand for the announcement, said the project was worth the $600,000 grant it received from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

"We don't differentiate between companies -- whether they're retailers or not -- when it comes to job creation," he said. "We have a lot of skill levels in Texas, and we want to provide jobs for all of them."

City Councilman Jim Lane, in whose district Cabela's will be located, summed up his sentiments by quoting the late Jackie Gleason's signature line: "How sweet it is."

[gc]

I had seen this over on the Fort Worth forum but had no clue how BIG is was. This is great news!

Congrats to Fort Worth!

[tamtagon]

City Councilman Jim Lane: "How sweet it is."


word

[gc]

Oh yeah, when watching television news coverage about this....there was a small clip from Perot Junior... and well IMO he dissed Dallas. Did anyone else see it? I guess it does not matter. This is great news for Fort Worth.

[rantanamo]

I see the same mistakes Dallas made all over again

[gc]

I see the same mistakes Dallas made all over again

How so?

[bloodandpopcorn]

a gun library

Well whoopty-doo. We need more guns, by all means!

[rantanamo]

How so?

Well, for one thing, the rapid expanse towards the north is well underway. Am I the only one seeing Plano, Richardson, Frisco? Far North Dallas? Circle T and Alliance Corporate campus areas. Just waiting for talk of the next freeway loop. History repeating itself. Not a criticism, just an observation. I predict the same for Dallas to the east one of these days.

[Columbus Civil]

I don't really know the specifics of what you are talking about, but isn't it the same thing that's happened with any other metropolitan area in the U.S. (with the exception of Portland)? I'm assuming you're talking about sprawl? How do you realistically stop it?

[tamtagon]

Without increasing sprawl, metroplex population growth will resemble that of rust-belt cities. If six/seven million is enough for DFW, then no more suburban neighborhoods.

[rantanamo]

I don't really know the specifics of what you are talking about, but isn't it the same thing that's happened with any other metropolitan area in the U.S. (with the exception of Portland)? I'm assuming you're talking about sprawl? How do you realistically stop it?



Without increasing sprawl, metroplex population growth will resemble that of rust-belt cities. If six/seven million is enough for DFW, then no more suburban neighborhoods.


Must take away both of your Dallas suburban complaint cards. The metros of rust-belt cities grew for a good while, just not the cities. Pretty much resembled metroplex population growth until Ft Worth began annexing land.

[Columbus Civil]

Hey, I'm keeping my card!

So how do you realistically stop sprawl?

[bloodandpopcorn]

Government restrictions (Oregon)? Higher gas tax? Neither would be very popular, but both would probably work.

[crescentboi]

its stores have turned into top tourist attractions in Michigan and Kansas

yeah, because there's nothing else to do there!

is this one store going to actually bring in that much money? i guess it's cool, just probably not someplace you'll see me at!

[rantanamo]

Hey, I'm keeping my card!

So how do you realistically stop sprawl?

As I said before, its just an observation that history is repeating itself a few miles to the west.

[tamtagon]

As I said before, its just an observation that history is repeating itself a few miles to the west.

I certainly agree with you. The most interesting aspect of these anticipated communities will be the municipal approach to beefing up tax revenues. Plano has it's business parks, Frisco added to sports to the rouster, what will HEB come up with? Personally, I dont feel North Texas needs to be as restirictive as Portland. The Blackland Prairie recovers much more quickly than a rain forest.

[Geaux Tigers]

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Judge says TIF OK for Cabela's

By Mike Lee
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

<!-- begin body-content -->FORT WORTH - The city can use $30 million from a special tax district to help attract a Cabela's sporting goods store, a judge ruled Tuesday in throwing out a lawsuit filed by a local taxpayers group.

The group, Fort Worth Citizens for Responsible Government, might appeal the decision, member Louis McBee said.

The organization had filed a lawsuit to block the city's use of a tax increment finance district, or TIF, to attract Cabela's, a high-end hunting and fishing store that wants to locate near Alliance Airport.

The TIFs are designed to renew blighted or rural areas that have difficulty developing. The Cabela's site is at the intersection of two major highways in one of the fastest-growing areas of Tarrant County.

State District Judge Don Cosby rejected the group's argument.

"Evidence exists that allows a reasonable person to conclude that development or redevelopment of the area ... would not occur solely through private investment," he wrote in his opinion.

Cosby awarded the city $1,000 in attorneys' fees, and said McBee's group will have to pay a $300,000 bond and additional fees if it appeals the decision.

Mayor Mike Moncrief said he was "delighted with the court's ruling."

"I think it is clear this council acted appropriately in the creation of the Cabela's TIF," he said.

During a hearing Monday, a land development expert said the site would easily be developed without government assistance because it has road access and is already served by water and sewer lines.

"I think in five to 10 years, this is a great site," said Michael Coker, former planning director for the city of Dallas.

Cabela's officials, however, said the land is marred by a creek and a stock pond, and would require $4 million in work before construction can start.

"Absent the TIF, we would not have chosen this site," Cabela's Vice President David Roehr said.

Cabela's started as a mail-order outlet in Chappell, Neb., but recently went public and started an aggressive expansion. The company has negotiated TIFs for most of its eight new locations, including two in Texas, Roehr said.

TIFs work by diverting property taxes from new development into a special fund to pay for improvements inside the district. McBee and other critics say TIFs divert tax money that could be used for basic services, or for lowering property taxes citywide.

The Cabela's TIF is a special case because it will issue $30 million worth of bonds to pay not just for roads and utilities, but also for a museum and other improvements inside the store. Cabela's will buy the bonds from the tax district, which means that as the TIF pays off the bonds, Cabela's will collect the interest.

The case had been closely watched because Fort Worth is already using eight TIFs to pay for a range of projects from the downtown business district to the Texas Motor Speedway. Two more TIFs are in the works to pay for the proposed Southwest Parkway.

McBee said the city was "judge shopping" in an attempt to stifle debate. The taxpayers group originally sued in September in Tarrant County district court, but the city countersued in Austin.

When the Austin judge turned down the city's request that the group post a $3 million bond, Fort Worth's attorneys refiled the suit in a different court in Tarrant County.

Assistant City Attorney Gerald Pruitt said the city wanted to resolve the case quickly.

"The earliest the court was going to give us in Austin was the 13th of December. We got it resolved on the sixth," he said. "In the bond business, seven days is a long time."

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[rantanamo]

how do these compare to Bass Pro Shops? Never been to either.

[CTroyMathis]

Know nothing about either.

[mikedsjr]

Their similar, but still different from each other in how they operate. Kind of like Target and Walmart.

I know my brother-in-law only buys from Cabela's via catalog, so he will certainly like this being here.

[Random Traffic Guy]

IMHO, Bass Pro is a fishing store that also has hunting/outdoors stuff. Cabelas (and the new Gander Mountain in Corsicana) is a hunting/outdoors store that also has fishing stuff. Each just has a different focus, going back to their roots as specialized catalog sales in fishing and hunting respectively.

As much as I dislike the financing deals, I am looking forward to Cabelas being in the neighborhood. Lots more variety for my interests than Bass Pro, and there will hopefully be some good competition between the two. I have not been to any of the Cabelas mega stores, but the "small" Cabelas in Kearney, Nebraska had impressive animal displays, making it more than just a store.

The only problem is with physical stores in Texas, catalog sales will no longer be tax-free.

[Geaux Tigers]

I drove past the store yesterday and it looks like they're maybe only a month or two from opening! The signs are up and it looks as if they're just putting the finshing touches on the exterior. If I can, I'll try and drive by today and snap a picture or two. This place is huge!! At least the size of Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, if not bigger.

Speaking of Bass Pro Shops, has anyone else noticed that company is building a second Dallas area store out on I-30 at Lake Ray Hubbard? The family and I drove past the construction site on our way up to Hot Springs this weekend and the dirt is flying!!!! I haven't read anything on the board, so I was just curious. If I'm not mistaken, I think that would make Dallas the only city in the country with TWO Bass Pro Shops!

[rantanamo]

There's a post on it somewhere. It will be part of a mixed use development. Not urban, but will have retail, office and residential. Great location.

[Random Traffic Guy]

There was a sidebar in the Sunday Managed News (which humorously I read while eating lunch after visiting the Grapevine Bass Pro) about the huge bronze sculpture that will be in front of the store. I believe the grand opening is to be May 26. Following the excellent investigative reporting tradition of the DMN, they have no clue what the statue will be of.

[Geaux Tigers]

GOING UP NORTH

Cabela's opening sets the stage for a new wave of commercial development

By Andrea Jares
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH - When Cabela's opens its 5.2-acre paradise for outdoors enthusiasts this week, it will kick off a wave of retail development on Fort Worth's northernmost tip.

Several developers have proposed more than 6 million square feet of shops, theaters and restaurants -- equal to more than three North East Malls -- on a 3-mile ring of land to the east and south of Cabela's.

There could be a Branson, Mo.-style musical venue designed for a major performer, as well as a park with family attractions. The entertainer could perform there and bring in other acts on a permanent stage.

Hillwood, the Alliance developer that sold Cabela's a 50-acre slice of rolling prairie at Interstate 35W and Texas 170, is making room for a hotel on top of the hill looking into the bass pond at Cabela's' front door.

Cabela's also wants a resort overlooking wetlands just north of Westport Parkway, as well as groupings of shops and restaurants.

"Cabela's will certainly aid in it being a retail destination," said Terry Clower, associate director of the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research. He said visitors will bring their families for the weekend and spend money. Longtime Cabela's catalog shoppers will now spend their money locally.

Tax dollars in the surrounding tax increment financing district also pay for water lines and roads that must be built to bring in more development, Clower said.

"Retail growth begets retail growth," he said. "Some of them will be complementary retailers that are offering maybe other types of sporting goods and then you'll have others just because it's retail activity."

There is already a lot of curiosity among retailers who have heard stories of Cabela's drawing power, said Darrell Lake, who heads Hillwood's Metroplex retail development. He said shops near Cabela's will offer escapism along with shopping.

"The ones we really want around Cabela's are ones that will most enhance that feeling of suspending the disbelief around" the store, Lake said.

Among the hopefuls is the Nebraska Furniture Mart, a megaretailer from Omaha owned by Warren Buffett. Developers say the retailer is on their wish list but has so far not committed to the project.

Hillwood and other developers are rolling out acres of land to welcome them. Hillwood alone has three large retail developments that it plans to market to tourists, along with other Metroplex attractions.

"There's a lot of people trying to get a shopping center built out there," said Don Silverman, developer with Margaux Development, which is planning a shopping area at Interstate 35W and U.S. 287, about three miles south of the Cabela's site. "We're all talking to the same people, and I think everybody you expect to be in play is in play."

A few of the developments in the works:

• Alliance Town Center will include as much as 2 million square feet of big-box stores and national retailers three miles south of Cabela's on Interstate 35W. Hillwood officials have not yet named tenants for that center, but a large hardware store or a movie theater would not be out of place. Hillwood plans for stores to start opening as early as fall 2006.

• The long-anticipated 1.3 million-square-foot Shops at Circle T Ranch is planned three miles east of Cabela's on Texas 114. Hillwood hopes it will become another resortlike shopping destination, on the shores of Westlake's Lake Turner. Dillard's, Foley's and an AMC theater have signed on. The much-delayed mall is tentatively set to open in 2008, according to government filings by co-developer General Growth Properties. But a spokeswoman said this month that a groundbreaking this fall is possible.

• Margaux Development and Ellesmere Corp. plan a 2 million-square-foot shopping center at U.S. 287 and I-35W. The project has not yet gained firm commitments from retailers, Margaux's Silverman said. But it could break ground in the next year, he said.

• Simon Property Group, one of the country's largest mall developers, plans the 972,000-square-foot Presidio Vista outdoor mall on 250 acres northwest of U.S. 287 and I-35W. Construction of the mall, which could have a theater and large retail tenants, could begin this year, officials have said.

• Southlake Town Square plans a $50 million expansion, adding more than 40 shops by next spring. The development will gain frontage on Texas 114 for the first time.

• Panattoni's 225-acre industrial park at the northeast corner of Texas 114 and I-35W, across from the Texas Motor Speedway, has attracted a Clorox warehouse and is getting some interest from small retailers such as convenience stores, said Dan Anderson, development manager at Panattoni.

The retail trend follows an explosion of housing in north Fort Worth.

The five-mile radius around Cabela's has added 10,000 homes since 2000, said David Brown, director of the Dallas-Fort Worth region for MetroStudy, which tracks housing construction and sales. At that rate, the area could grow to 70,000 people in the next two years from 50,000 now.

The same area added 3,715 homes last year, on par with growth seen in the Frisco-McKinney area, Brown said.

Retailers have long looked at those numbers and seen potential, Silverman said.

"The reality is that most of these tenants have been looking at this market for a number of years," he said. "As more people get out there, it attracts a whole plethora of different retailers."

The boom in retail interest also shows that businesses are more confident about expanding, Clower said. Developers nationwide started work on 810 new shopping centers in 2004, the most since 1991, according to research from McGraw-Hill Construction and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Of those, almost half were in Southern states.

"The economy is starting to grow," Clower said. "When hiring picks up, folks have more money and obviously the retailers want to have plenty of opportunities for folks to spend the money that they're making."

As for the land immediately around Cabela's, Lake said Hillwood is taking its time to string together the shops and restaurants that will eventually surround the mammoth sporting goods retailer.

That means they've passed on many fast-food restaurants that have asked for land.

Hillwood believes it can afford to be picky with a tenant like Cabela's in hand. In the three years since a Cabela's opened in Kansas City, Kan., the surrounding area has sprouted hotels, a water park and a slew of restaurants. A Cabela's in Dundee, Mich. -- population just over 3,500 -- has two hotels and several restaurants nearby.

Being selective will pay off in the long run, Lake said.

"We want it to be a project that's built for 40 or 50 years," he said, "not the next 10 years."


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[Geaux Tigers]

And in other news...

Officials working to tame traffic headaches around Cabela's

By Gordon Dickson
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

On peak days, Cabela's, the outdoor-products superstore opening this week in far north Fort Worth, expects to draw 50,000 people, nearly the equivalent of a sold-out Texas Stadium crowd.
As a result, traffic on roads leading to the fledgling retail kingdom may resemble a wild, thundering herd. Extra police officers will be on the streets for five days after the store's Thursday opening.

"Is it going to be crowded the first week? Yeah. But we think we are capable of handling it," Cabela's spokesman John Castillo said.

Long term, the picture is less clear about how to ease congestion in the growing Alliance Corridor. Cabela's is an early entrant in what is expected to be a massive retail development in the area over the next two decades.

Already, congestion is common. Just south of the store, traffic on Interstate 35W is a daily nightmare.

A few miles north of Cabela's is Texas Motor Speedway, which can draw more than 325,000 people -- arriving in about 70,000 vehicles -- on a race weekend.

As the once-rugged prairie on the border of Tarrant and Denton counties gets developed, officials wonder whether the roads can handle the imminent crush of traffic.

"One of the things we've got to do is find peaceful ways to coexist," said Eddie Gossage, general manager at the speedway. He acknowledged that speedway traffic may hurt some businesses whose customers are discouraged by congestion.

But it also may help stores such as Cabela's, where Castillo believes that many racing fans will stop by to browse.

For years, politicians and business leaders have been lobbying for more state highway money to improve area roads, and several private companies are vying for the state's permission to build toll lanes.

But it may be years before any of that work is completed.

Among the short-term changes motorists can expect near Cabela's:

• Merge lanes are being added to I-35W between Loop 820 and U.S. 287,a chronically congested area. Work is expected to be completed by fall.

• Several I-35W intersections south of Texas 170 are being widened, which will help relieve freeway gridlock. North Tarrant Parkway is being extended to I-35W, a project that could be finished by December. Golden Triangle Boulevard may be widened by summer 2006.

Among the long-term changes:

• The transportation department plans to install traffic signals at the I-35W interchange with Texas 170, where Cabela's is, in the next couple of years, but the project hasn't been put out to bid.

• Three private consortiums want to build toll express lanes in the median of I-35W, Loop 820 and Airport Freeway. If the Transportation Department approves the $2.5 billion proposal this year, it would provide a speedy escape from gridlock for motorists willing to pay a toll, possibly as soon as 2008.

Eventually, the state also intends to add non-toll lanes to I-35W, which has only two main lanes in each direction through the Alliance Corridor.

But transportation spokesman Michael Peters said, "If you want to do a major widening with gas tax dollars, it will be 2015 or later."

Area businesses are lobbying to convert the main lanes of Texas 170 into a toll road. Motorists on Texas 170 are now traveling on the frontage road lanes, which would remain free. Businesses also want to extend Texas 170 through Haslet to U.S. 287, but that is probably several years away.

What about Texas 170 dangers? The road, which has a 55 mph speed limit, is known for speeding 18-wheelers and Alliance-area commuters. Transportation officials say they will monitor traffic in the area, especially motorists who make a U-turn at Texas 170 and Old Denton Road -- an intersection controlled only by a stop sign -- to get to Cabela's.

Any mass transit in the future?

Yes. But not right away. Dick Ruddell, Fort Worth Transportation Authority president, said he is discussing a vanpool program with Cabela's and might put a bus route in the area some day, but he wants to spend a few months studying the ideas.

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[Random Traffic Guy]

DMN als had an article on Saturday: Open Season (http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spt/outdoors/stories/052205dnspooutfeat.ce80942d.html)
Full size elephant mount :eek: :eek: Awesome!

[Geaux Tigers]

I visited the Cabela's today and I can tell you it's like the Bass Pro Shops without all the boats. In fact, both stores are practically set up the same way, with Bass Pro Shops having a little more "rustic" feel to it. Cabela's definetly doesn't have a problem with stuffed and mounted animals. In fact, if you're an animal lover, DON'T GO!!!! I literally cannot stress this enough. Yes, they really do have a stuffed elephant in the store. Not sure if it's real or not, but it is absolutely life-size. They actually have two seperate rooms dedicated to stuffed and mounted animals. A little much if you ask me.

The thing I did like about Cabela's is the gun library. It is a seperate room away from the gun sales counter that is dedicated to old, rare, and historic guns. Everything from shotguns to Derringer pistols. They had a shotgun in there today with a $59,000 price tag on it! In fact, the cheapest gun I saw in the room was around $3,000.

The clothing selection seemed nicer than the Bass Pro Shops, but then again, that's what Cabela's has always been known for. Also, they have a furniture room upstairs, next to the general store, for interior furnishings. Chairs, couches, coffee tabels, etc.

Anyway, if you find yourself in far north Ft. Worth with a couple of hours to kill, check it out. Nothing better on a 104 degree day than to stroll around a air-conditioned huge store!

[gc]

^ Cool, thanks for sharing. I'd like to see what all the hype is about.

[Random Traffic Guy]

Yeah, I forgot to mention I was out there 2 weeks ago. It is a very nice store. Great statue out front of a cowboy roping a buck. Their water feature was not flowing too well though. The store was full but traffic was flowing pretty well. They do need a way to easily get back on eastbound 170 rather than going through all 4 intersections with I.H. 35.

There is alot of crossover with Bass Pro, but Cabela's aimed more at hunters and less at fishermen/boaters. Still not enough stuff for shooters like me who aren't hunters, but nobody covers that market yet. Cabela's and Sportsman's Warehouse in Lewisville are getting there since they have some reloading gear. Bargain cave had some decent returns to pick through. I didn't even go into the gun library, I hardly look at guns in stores anymore since they are so overpriced it seems. Spolied by the net there. They did have a good variety of clothing and if it wasn't so far over there I could see Cabela's replacing Bass Pro for my usual clothing store ;)

As for animals, well yeah they have a ton of mounted displays. That's half the attraction, it's practically a museum on the side. Lots of stuff you'll never see in a zoo, with good action mounts for alot of the animals. There's a mountain display of North American animals, probably 50' high, with mountain goats and bighorn sheet at the topthat are better seen from the upper level. The big African room with the aforementioned elephant (smaller than I expected, actually). That has a lion vs hyena vignette. One record moose in it's own pond. Then the room of deer, elk, and antelopes, all kinds of record examples. I think they are working on a room with examples of all Texas animals. I had also heard of a big acquarium, but somehow missed it, probably since I didn't look through the fishing stuff except to check the GPS gear.

Although crowded it was a pleasant time. Check it out...

[Random Traffic Guy]

Pics from ar15.com Texas forum of the Buda store, soft opening this week.
Exterior (http://www.m38a1.com/g503/cab001.jpg)
Interior (http://www.m38a1.com/g503/cab002.jpg)
Mountain Display (http://www.m38a1.com/g503/cab003.jpg)
The Fort Worth store looks almost exactly the same, but 45KSF bigger, probably in the outer sections like the bargain cave, boat area, etc.