THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION
The governor may attempt to lure Bass Pro Shops into Northwest Indiana at a meeting today with the retail giant's representatives.The mega sporting goods store is believed to be considering a site at the Ameriplex complex in Portage, north of Interstate 94.
Gov. Mitch Daniels, store representatives and executives of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. are all expected to be in on the discussion, said Weston Sedgwick, a spokesman for the IEDC.
Tim Sanders, the northwest region director of the IEDC said he 'would presume' that a store for Portage would be part of that conversation.
'I think that Bass wants to talk about opportunities in Indiana,' Sanders said.
Sedgwick said economic incentives for the retailer to locate in Indiana also will be part of the talk.
'I'm sure that will be part of the conversation,' Sedgwick said.
The state's policy is to not offer incentives for retailers, Sedgwick said. Chicago nabbed the Mittal Steel national headquarters this month by offering $9.5 million in incentives, while Indiana made no formal offer.
Sedgwick said offers were suggested to Mittal, but he said the company already seemed to have decided on Chicago.
'We would have, obviously, been prepared to put together a deal for Mittal Steel,' Sedgwick said. 'They were pretty much already set on the Chicago location.'
Analysts consider Bass Pro Shops a powerful competitor.
It's been a major factor in Cabela's recent decline in same-store sales growth. In addition, while outdoor sporting goods is a $65 billion industry, the number of outdoor sportsmen is in decline.
Despite the state's policy, Sedgwick said there is room for exceptions for companies like Mittal or Bass Pro Shops.
'It really depends on a case-by-case scenario,' Sedgwick said.
Cabela's, another huge outdoor store which is preparing to locate in Hammond, is also waiting for word from the state on incentives.
'We're not able to comment on our specific conversations with the company,' Sedgwick said. 'These things are highly confidential.'
Bass Pro Shops' flagship store in Missouri is 300,000-square-feet.
That store and others built by Bass Pro are referred to as 'museums' or 'attractions' more than just a simple store.
There is an on-site wildlife museum and in-house restaurants at the store in Missouri.
The International Game Fish Association World Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum is located next door to the Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach, Fla.
Post-Tribune correspondent Michelle Quinn contributed to this report.
Contact Jon Seidel at 477-6015 or jseidel@post-trib.com
