METRONEWS
ERICJOHNSON
Fishing with Costco
Luring the warehouse club could end up helping Augusta catch a lunker
As Augusta’s much-anticipated Costco steams toward a November opening, the executive director of the Development Authority of Richmond County, Walter Sprouse, hints that not only is the warehouse club a good catch in itself, but it could end up being the lure that helps Augusta boat the really big fish. According to Sprouse, Bass Pro Shops has not given up on Augusta. In fact, from the discussions he’s had with company officials, they’re still very much interested in the Augusta market. “I think the big thing that people really have a difficult time understanding is that it’s their schedule, not ours,” he says. “I know we want them now, but it’s their schedule, not ours.” Bass Pro Shops was originally envisioned as the anchor for the 115-acre Village at Riverwatch development, but as the recession delayed Bass Pro Shop’s expansion plans, Costco moved in as the initial tenant while Bass Pro Shops quietly faded from the conversation. Officials, including Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Chamber President/ CEO Sue Parr, broke ground for Costco
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in late June, and other than a recent construction delay due to worries about the path of Hurricane Irene, the world’s highest-volume warehouse club should open as planned. Its opening, Sprouse says, may be just what Bass Pro Shops needs to strike. “Whenever Bass Pro Shops says the time is right, I think they’ll do it,” Sprouse says. “But I think the one thing that’s really going to spur them on a little bit more is the success of Costco. Knowing that the driveway’s done, the stoplight’s there, the road’s been improved, Alexander Drive is finished — I think Bass Pro Shops is going to come back and say, ‘Let’s go ahead and move on this thing.’” Bass Pro Shops recently announced it was moving ahead with a store in Memphis. Augusta would join Lawrenceville, Macon and Savannah as Georgia locations for the outdoor superstore, which has nearly 60 locations nationwide. Rumors that Bass Pro Shops might be considering another location — and that Columbia County might be in a position
to lure the retailer across county lines, potentially to the Gateway — are untrue, Sprouse insists. “Every time I’ve talked with Bass Pro, they’ve been so excited about this market,” he says. “And they’re also committed to Richmond County. They said that if they’re going to build it anywhere around here, they’re going to put it here.” Because Bass Pro Shops locations tend to be considered destinations rather than simply stores, Sprouse and the Development Authority can issue Industrial Revenue Bonds. Usually a tool reserved for enticing factories, warehouses and distribution centers, rule changes have expanded the ways the bonds can be used. “There’s a provision in the Development Authority Law that says we can do Industrial Revenue Bonds for tourism projects, and believe it or not, Bass Pro Shops qualifies as a tourist destination.” Bass Pro Shops locations feature outdoor-themed restaurants, freshwater and saltwater aquariums and wild and
exotic animal mounts. In spite of the drawing power of Bass Pro Shops, Sprouse says Costco is an excellent fit for Augusta and the Tax Allocation District the county created to spur growth. The 200 jobs it will create combined with the sales tax revenue the store will generate will more than compensate for whatever money the county won’t take in because of the Tax Allocation District. Whatever happens, Sprouse anticipates a sudden interested in the Village at Riverwatch. “Honestly, I’m guessing that what’s going to happen is that once Costco gets out there, they’ll start getting some phone calls from some of the retail people asking what their plans are for that property,” he says. “If it does work out that Bass Pro Shops does decide to go ahead and move on it, they’ll probably have to hire another person, because everybody will be wanting to go out there.”
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