By the numbers
$2.8 million: Value of the new Dick’s Sporting Goods store
$658,000: Value of the new Dollar Tree store
42,000: Square footage of new Dick’s Sporting Goods building
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun tracks the developments on Bechtle Avenue, including recent stories looking at a proposed roundabout there and new stores coming to the busy shopping corridor.
The Dick’s Sporting Goods store on Bechtle Avenue is moving forward after plans have been approved for a new 42,000-square-foot building at the site.
City construction permits value the new sporting goods store at about $2.8 million.
Bechtle Avenue is undergoing several changes, including the recent demolition of the former Ashley Furniture store as well as plans to move Dollar Tree’s location at 1674 N. Bechtle Ave. Both the Ashley and Dollar Tree stores are being torn down to make way for Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Dollar Tree is building a new, $658,000 location in one of outlots in front of the new Hobby Lobby development. Dollar Tree representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.
Hobby Lobby is also moving from its location on Upper Valley Pike to North Bechtle Avenue. It will host a relocation event at its new store at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22. The new store will be about 55,000 square feet. Store hours will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Officials at Ashley Furniture are still looking for a new location now that their previous store has been demolished, said Rob Klaben, vice president of marketing and advertising for Morris Furniture Co. But so far it’s been tough to find the right fit. In the meantime, the store’s inventory has been moved to the chain’s location in Beavercreek.
“George Hartley our vice president has been looking and has made several trips to Springfield but nothing meets our criteria yet,” Klaben said. “We still want to be back in Springfield but there’s nothing to report at this time.”
The additional sporting goods store is good news for Bechtle Avenue, Clark County Commissioner John Detrick said. However, he said he still hopes Ashley Furniture finds a new location in Springfield.
“They’ve got a good niche here because there’s only a few other furniture stores,” Detrick said.
Shay Owens, of Springfield, was shopping for her children on Bechtle Avenue last week. She said she’s watched retailers steadily build up in the area, but wasn’t aware of the plans for a new sporting goods store.
She said she’d like to see other restaurants and retailers move to the area, including an IHOP.
U.S. Properties Group, based in Hilliard, owns the Bechtle Crossing Shopping Center where the new Dick’s store will be located. Officials from the company didn’t return calls seeking comment.
Plans submitted for the Dick’s Sporting Goods store show the new building will be single story, and will provide about 370 parking spaces. Rycon Construction Inc., based in Pittsburgh, will be the contractor. Dick’s Sporting Goods didn’t return calls seeking comment.
Dollar Tree isn’t ready to move into its new location, said Stephen Thompson, Springfield’s planning, zoning and code administrator. However, it’s possible construction on the new Dick’s Sporting Goods store could begin before the current Dollar Tree is completely demolished, he said.
Two smaller retail stores would also be built along with the new Dick’s, but it’s not clear who the potential tenants might be.
The sporting goods store will be a good fit for Bechtle Avenue, Thompson said.
“It’s going to have a pretty tall facade,” Thompson said. “It’s going to look like multiple stories but it’s just going to be a one-story store.”
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