Sportsman’s Warehouse opens in northeast Fresno

The first store in northeast Fresno’s much anticipated Park Crossing development, formerly the Fresno 40 property, quietly opened with little fanfare during the flashiest holiday weekend of the year.

Sportsman’s Warehouse, a Utah-based sporting goods store for outdoor enthusiasts, opened its doors on July 3 allowing shoppers to peruse and buy from its large collection of guns, ammunition, fishing gear and camping supplies.

A grand opening is planned for July 18.

The retailer announced last summer that it would open its fifth California store in Fresno as part of a nationwide expansion that includes eight new store openings this year. There are stores in Chico, Rancho Cordova, Redding and Rocklin. The company had a store in Visalia that closed in 2009.

Company officials did not return calls for comment.

The Fresno store is the lone business sitting in the 38.93-acre retail, office and multi-family development bordered by Friant Road, Audubon Drive, Cole Avenue and Fresno Street.

Walls are going up now on commercial space along Friant Road. The plans are for 200,000 square feet of retail space with five anchor tenants. Developer DeWayne Zinkin of Zinkin Family Development was not available for comment on Monday.

Another 250,000 square feet of office space is planned for a section near Friant and Audubon, while the multi-family portion, which will have fewer than 50 apartments, will be built on the backside along Cole.

The property has been vacant for years, attracting more election signs over the years than anything else. It was first slated for single-family homes. In 1990, the property was zoned for office use and became the proposed site for Valley Children’s Hospital, which later moved to Madera County.

When Zinkin presented plans to turn the property into a mixed-use development, Woodward Park homeowners sued twice over traffic and air pollution concerns. An appellate court sided with the homeowners on their first challenge.

Zinkin tweaked the plan, and in 2009, a judge ruled in favor of the city’s approval for the project. Two years later, Zinkin announced plans to move forward.

Dirt started moving last year with a goal of having the first tenants open by mid- to late 2015.

Other businesses reported to have signed leases include Kebab Time, Figaro’s Mexican Restaurant, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Corner Bakery Cafe.

This story was originally published July 6, 2015 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Sportsman’s Warehouse opens in northeast Fresno."