Dick’s Sporting Goods Brings Entertaining Concept to Arlington

A concept that combines retail with simulated sports and workout classes is on the way to the Parks Mall in Arlington.

Dick’s Sporting Goods is building out the 120,000-square-foot former Sears store for House of Sport, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Brookfield Properties owns the mall, at 3871 South Cooper Street, and Sears closed in 2020.

The $660,000 buildout is set to begin in December, and wrap up in April, according to state filings.

The store will add to the retailer’s portfolio of 20 House of Sport locations across 14 states, including locations in Friendswood and Katy.

The company plans to open between 75 and 100 House of Sport locations by 2027. This growth strategy includes the development of an 800,000-square-foot distribution center, which is under construction in south Fort Worth. The concept features batting cages, golf simulators and rock-climbing walls, and the stores host workout classes.

Pittsburgh-based retailer, led by president and CEO Lauren Hobart, recorded sales exceeding $12.9 billion last year.

Retail is in high demand nationally, and Dallas-Fort Worth had seen 15 straight quarters of positive net absorption halfway through this year, according to Partners Real Estate. Absorption reached 470,000 square feet in the second quarter, an increase of 81 percent over the previous quarter.

Asking rents have reached record highs, climbing to $20.65 in the second quarter, an increase of 8 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, retail construction is steady, with 4.8 million square feet of space under construction across the metro, primarily concentrated in the northern suburbs of Dallas.

Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo made its Texas debut at the Parks Mall in Arlington recently, and it plans to expand across the state with stores at the Galleria Dallas, Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, and two stores in the Houston area.

— Andrew Terrell