Addition of retail giant among changes at mall

The slogan for DICK’S Sporting Goods is ”Every Season Starts at DICK’S.”

Now the owners of Meadowood Mall hope the Fall 2016 season starts with the national retail chain opening its doors at the shopping center.

Construction is underway on the south side of the mall on DICK’S approximately 50,000-square-foot store that’s expected to open sometime in the last quarter of this year.

It will be the third location for DICK’S in Nevada, with the other two in Las Vegas, and joins roughly 500 stores across the country.

The addition of the retail giant is also part of a gradual plan to reshape the look and feel of Meadowood. The mall is owned and operated by Simon Property Group, a commercial real estate company based in Indianapolis.

Jeannine Hall, director of marketing and business development for Meadowood Mall, said the addition of the retail giant diversifies the mall’s options, which includes a mix of national brands and local merchants.

“To have Meadowood be their northern Nevada location is super-exciting,” Hall said. “DICK’S is seen as a destination type store; and we’re going to naturally have shoppers specifically come here to check it out.”

DICK’S executives declined to comment on additional details on the Reno location at this time, but will release more information around the time of its grand opening.

Other retail outlets are expected to open shop in the near future, although Hall preferred not to reveal details until a later date.

“As new tenants come to the market, that truly is their news to share with the public,” Hall said.

The addition of DICK’S is part of Simon’s overall plan to update the mall’s overall appearance through new stores or diversified culinary options, and changing the overall décor of the facility.

The addition of the popular eatery The Cheesecake Factory in space previously occupied by Bully’s Sports Bar is an example of some of those changes.

Another project the mall owners undertook was adding new flooring and lighting among other enhancements. Several existing retail tenants also made renovations or remodeled their spaces.

Hall said reports from online surveys, survey cards and one-on-one communications with guests show the changes are well received by the public.

“We hear from guests all the time that it provides a very clean and inviting atmosphere,” Hall said. “And many of them want to advertise here. They think it’s a good place to get their message out within the center.”

However, some of the mall’s other ideas haven’t come to fruition, at least as of yet.

A new movie theatre development had previously been planned along with the DICK’S project, but those plans have been put on hold for now.

Hall contends the mall remains vibrant in the retail market even as online shopping has become more prevalent and as newer shopping centers such as Legends at Sparks Marina and The Summit in south Reno have been developed.

“We still have a lot of people who like to touch and look at merchandise,” Hall said. “I’ll walk around the shopping center and you’ll see people with shopping bags and (they’ve) got the family with them. They may live in Carson, Fernley and Fallon and they make a day of it. It’s an event for them.”

She said the mall grabs its fair share of the tourism dollars with its close proximity to Reno-Tahoe International Airport and the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, along with the fact it is the only indoor, climate-controlled shopping center in northern Nevada.

“I think we have done a great job in creating a positive experience for our guests and making it so they look forward to the next visit,” Hall said.