Sports broadside Academy opens in East Brainerd, its 2nd big box in area

Academy Sports + Outdoors, tapping into the key East Brainerd market, on Thursday becomes another big-box retailer to open a second store in the Chattanooga area.

The Katy, Texas-based company will unwrap a new 73,000-square-foot store in The Terrace shopping center near Hamilton Place mall.

Employing about 150 people, the store was mainly built on the site of the former Circuit City off Hamilton Place Boulevard.

Academy Sports spokesman Dave Biediger said the aim is customer convenience.

"We want the opportunity for our customers to be close to our stores," he said.

Katie Reinsmidt, director of corporate communications and investor relations for center developer CBL & Associates Properties Inc., said Academy brings "a great dynamic" to the Hamilton Place area.

"They've got a wide selection of sporting goods and equipment," she said.

Academy competes against stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart, according to Hoovers.

On Tuesday, about a half dozen Academy tractor-trailer trucks sat in the parking lot in front of the store. Workers were pressure washing outside the unit.

Academy opened its first area store in April in The Fountains of North Chattanooga at Highway 153 and Pine Marr Road. Mr. Biediger said the retailer is pleased with store traffic there.

ABOUT ACADEMY SPORTSWith 112 stores in 11 states in the Southeast, the chain sells sports apparel, footwear and equipment as well as hunting, fishing and camping goods.

The Fountains property manager Oscar Brock said Academy has requested more parking at the shopping center where the store is the first tenant.

Mr. Brock said about 94 more parking spaces are being added to the 360 already on site as Barnesville, Ga., developer Greg Blosser readies to put in added retailers.

Mrs. Reinsmidt said some of its Hamilton Place retailers have second stores in the area and others don't.

"It depends on the retailer," she said. "We do offer a lot of stores that are unique."

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