Gulf Coast Town Center to be anchored by Bass Pro Shops And Famous Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant

 

New center at I-75 and Alico Road in Ft. Myers / Naples corridor will be the first S.W. Florida location for famous outdoor store. Lee County, Florida (November 18, 2003) - The Richard E. Jacobs Group, owner and developer of Gulf Coast Town Center, announced today that Bass Pro Shops, America's most popular outdoor store, has agreed to open its first Southwest Florida store at the new open air regional center now under development. Located at I-75 and Alico Road in the rapidly growing Ft. Myers / Naples corridor. The store will encompass approximately 75,000 square feet of retail space. In addition, a restaurant, a boat showroom and a boat service center will be part of the Bass Pro Shops project. The store is tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 2005.

 

 "This is a tremendous addition to Gulf Coast Town Center and for Southwest Florida," said Jacobs Group chairman and C.E.O. Richard E. Jacobs. "Not only will Bass Pro Shops provide our new center with an important exclusivity in the market, it will have immediate and significant impact on the local economy as a major tourist attraction."

 

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store will offer shoppers the area's largest selection of quality outdoor gear, clothing and accessories from top industry names and at value prices. More than just a fishing and hunting store, however, the Gulf Coast Town Center store will also offer equipment for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more.

 

An expansive boat showroom will feature Tracker, Nitro, Mako and SeaCraft boats all built by Tracker Marine Group--the world's largest manufacturer of fishing boats.

 

Area residents and tourists are in for a real treat when the famous Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant opens next to the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store. Originating in Islamorada in the Florida Keys, this will be their third restaurant. They are known for their delicious fish sandwiches and other tasty entrees.

 

Unique exterior and interior motifs have branded Bass Pro Shops as visually appealing, high quality outdoor stores. The outdoor feel is brought indoors through massive log and rock work, large indoor aquariums and water features stocked with native fish species, as well as an extensive collection of museum quality fish and wildlife mounts.

 

"We are excited to bring Bass Pro Shops to Southwest Florida," said Bass Pro Shops President Jim Hagale. "This store will be dedicated to the families and visitors who enjoy the great outdoor traditions this region has to offer."

 

This is the first announced anchor for the planned 1.6 million square foot retail center with up to 7 additional anchors expected to be named within the coming months. Gulf Coast Town Center will offer area residents and visitors a unique shopping experience, with over 150 shops, restaurants, and entertainment destinations in a lushly landscaped village setting. In addition, parking for approximately 8,000 automobiles will be provided. Construction is expected to begin in 2004 for a planned fall, 2005 grand opening.

 

Unequaled in their award-winning concept and design, Bass Pro Shops destination retail stores attract some 54 million people annually. The "granddaddy" of all outdoor stores, the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World located in Springfield, Missouri, is the state's number one tourist attraction.

 

Bass Pro Shops, a major internet and catalog retailer headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, will have 27 locations across the United States by the end of 2004. Stores are located in Springfield (also home to an outlet center) and St. Louis, MO, Dallas and Houston, TX, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, Cincinnati, OH, Atlanta and Savannah, GA, Baltimore, MD, Destin, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and Islamorada, FL, Charlotte, NC, Nashville and Memphis, TN, Bossier City, LA, Hampton, VA and Oklahoma City, OK.

 

Future stores that have been announced to open in 2004 include Auburn, NY, Myrtle Beach, SC, Columbia, MO. Las Vegas, NV, Harrisburg, PA and Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.

 

The Richard E. Jacobs Group has long been one of the nation's most established and respected owners, developers, and managers of commercial real estate. Founded in 1955 and headquartered in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, The Jacobs Group was among the early pioneering companies in the development of major enclosed regional shopping centers across America. Over the years, The Jacobs Group grew to become the largest privately held shopping center company in the United States, owning and managing over 45 million square feet of retail space in 40 regional centers located coast to coast. This included some of the nation's most prominent and successful regional centers, such as Southcenter in Seattle, Hanes Mall in Winston Salem, N.C., SouthPark Center in Cleveland, Belden Village in Canton, Ohio, Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, Brookfield Square in Milwaukee, and Chesterfield Mall in St. Louis.

 

The company remains today as a major developer of prominent retail, office, and hotel projects. Its newest retail development, Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, contains 1.4 million square feet of retail and dining in both enclosed and outdoor settings. It is anchored by Belk, Dillard's, Hecht's, Sears, and currently has the state's first Saks Fifth Avenue store under construction. In suburban Cleveland, The Jacobs Group is the managing partner and developer of the 600-acre Chagrin Highlands development, a world-class corporate community containing numerous office, retail, hotel, and service components. In Florida, The Jacobs Group is the owner of the famous Pier House Resort and Spa in Key West.