Bass Pro Shops yet to start construction on new West Chester store

More than two years after Bass Pro Shops announced plans to build a new Outdoor World store in West Chester Twp., construction has yet to start, according to the outdoor goods retailer.

Originally, plans were to open the new 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro store this year, but the opening was delayed until 2016 and the size of the store has been reduced. The seller of hunting, fishing and other outdoor gear now plans to build a new 120,149-square-foot location on Allen Road, near the intersection of Union Centre Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Once the new store opens, the existing Forest Fair Village location in the Fairfield/Forest Park area would close and employees would move to West Chester, officials for Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro have previously said.

But the Journal-News has confirmed this week that construction on the new West Chester store has yet to start.

“We are currently in development planning with this project and a specific timeframe has not been finalized. We will share more details as plans progress,” said Jack Wlezien, director of communications for Bass Pro Group, in an email.

While Bass Pro continues planning for the project, competitor Cabela's Inc. built and opened a new West Chester Twp. store this year on Liberty Way.

Bass Pro applied for a building permit from Butler County this past July, but a permit has not been issued to date, according to David Fehr, the county’s director of development. The county asked for revisions to the drawings, but the revisions have not yet been submitted, Fehr said.

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