Cities Pledge To Bass Pro

“Dog Town” (North Little Rock) is not the only municipality that wants to pay through the gills to land a Bass Pro Shops store.

According to a July 5 cover story in the Springfield Business Journal, Broken Arrow, Okla., recently pledged to finance the $20 million construction of a Bass Pro Outdoor World store plus $4 million for site improvements.

Todd Larson, the head of the North Little Rock Development Agency, said that city is not putting any money up front to hook the mega sporting goods store for the Shoppes at North Hills. Instead, the City Council is on record as supporting the development of a controversial tax-increment financing district, as soon as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department approve wetlands development and access to the site.

Some others who’ve granted or offered public financing to lure the hunting and fishing retailer include Denham Springs, La., ($26 million); Leeds Ala., ($4.5 million); Garland, Texas, ($24 million); Independence, Mo., ($25 million) and Council Bluffs, Iowa, ($20 million).

There’s been local talk of trying to recruit a Bass Pro to Northwest Arkansas, too.

The Springfield, Mo., company, which according to SBJ did $1.5 billion in 2002 sales, is only two hours away from Lowell. But it does apparently promise communities that its offshoots will generate $30 million in local sales and spark tourism to the tune of 2 million visitors annually.