House of Sport’s plans for the 150,000-square-foot facility include a climbing wall, multiple golf bays with TrackMan simulators, and multi-sport cages that can be used for baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer, per the company’s description.
The company has also proposed an “outdoor sports surface” on the north side of the mall, according to documents filed with the Beavercreek planning and zoning commission last July. This would include a track, turf field, and could be used as a skating rink in the winter, documents show.
The facility also serves as a place for patrons to practice, try out gear, or as a place to host events, per the company’s website.
Dick’s is waiting on “a few minor permits” with the city, Beavercreek officials said, but their plans for the site have been approved by the city’s planning department.
Dick’s House of Sport currently operates stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Last August, the parent company announced that they plan to open between 75 and 100 new concept locations by 2027.
Elder-Beerman, a longtime anchor store at Fairfield Commons, closed its doors permanently in August 2018 after parent company Bon-Ton declared bankruptcy. Since then, the space has been used as “a Halloween store, a place of religious assembly, and ... an overflow storage area for the Morris Home Furnishings,” Beavercreek planning documents say.
In 2021, Beavercreek developer Synergy & Mills announced plans to turn the Elder-Beerman site into office space, but that project didn’t go forward. The plan had been to offer office space to companies within the mall’s existing footprint, giving workers walkable access to amenities.
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