The opening of a new Dick’s House of Sport in the former Sears store in Cedar Rapids could well lead to the closing of a nearby Dick’s Sporting Goods store.
At its meeting set for 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Cedar Rapids City Council will hold a public hearing to consider approving a development agreement with Shops at Cedar Rapids, LLC, which plans to redevelop the former Sears store at Lindale Mall for Dick’s House of Sport, which is owned and operated by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Shops at Cedar Rapids purchased the vacant Sears building, at 4600 First Ave. NE, in January 2024 for $3.4 million, according to Cedar Rapids assessor’s records.The Sears store in Cedar Rapids, the last remaining Sears location in the Corridor, closed in July 2018 and has since remained empty.
The $25 million redevelopment of the 117,000-square-foot building, which also includes an outdoor “all-purpose competition sports field” on the site of Sears’ former auto service bays, was first announced in January.
Reserve Development of Dallas, Texas, is listed as the developer of the project. The same company is also developing a lot along Collins Road NE, just south of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, for 7 Brew, a drive-through beverage concept featuring coffees, teas, energy drinks, smoothies and shakes.
Dick’s Sporting Goods opened its first Dick’s House of Sport store in 2021.
The company’s website describes its House of Sport brand this way: “We are a destination devoted to sport. From baseball to yoga and golf to lacrosse, no matter how you stay active, we want to help you reach the top of your game. Not only do we have the top gear you need to perform your best, we have created an interactive space where you can find inspiration and practice your skills.”
According to a 2023 release announcing the opening of nine new stores, Dick’s House of Sport “is an approximately 100,000+ square foot store that provides customers with an incredible assortment of products along with in-store experiences including a climbing wall, multiple golf bays with TrackMan simulators, and multi-sport cages that can be used for baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer and give customers an opportunity to try product while measuring and tracking their performance. House of Sport stores also focus on deep integration with the local community through partnerships and events. Some locations have a field attached to the store that can be used for open play, clinics, league space or as an ice rink in the winter.”
The company had 20 House of Sport locations nationwide as of November 2024, including a location in Davenport that opened in July 2023, and plans to open another 15 House of Sport locations in 2025, growing to between 75 and 100 locations by 2027.
The existing 50,000-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Cedar Rapids is located in the Marketplace on 1st development, at 4601 First Ave. SE, just across First Avenue from the former Sears store. It opened in August 2006.
The ultimate fate of that store hasn’t yet been announced, but according to a March 2024 CX Dive article, “most House of Sports will replace former Dick’s locations through either relocations or conversions.”
The redevelopment of the former Sears store will create 110 full-time positions, according to city council documents. Construction is set to begin in August 2025 and be completed by March 2026.
The city has proposed standard economic development incentives for the project, including a 10-year, 100% rebate of increased taxes generated by the project. Based on the investment and estimated post-development value, the project is expected to generate $4.9 million in total taxes over a 10-year period, of which $3.3 million would be rebated back to the developer.
Dick’s Sporting Goods was founded in Binghamton, New York in 1948, and now operates 724 Dick’s Sporting Goods stores in 47 states nationwide.
