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Tribune/Debra Reid - Young Electric Sign Company installer Rick Lavin guides part of a new Scheel's sign into position at the construction site. Three signs for Scheel's were fabricated at YESCO's Sparks shop. "We like to keep it (sign work) local," said Lavin.
They were preparing for Sept. 27 when the wrapping will come off the aquariums, the lights will go on and Scheels welcomes the public.
“I can’t wait to open the doors and show people what they have been asking about all these months,” store manager Larry Theis said as he led the Sparks Tribune through a tour of the facility.
The store houses an array of sports-related inventory from basketballs to women’s casual fashion, three sports simulators, a 35-foot tall mountain, shooting galleries, 14 wax statues of former presidents and a Ferris wheel in the main entrance, among other attractions.
The store is the anchor for the Legends at Sparks Marina project and will be the first portion of the project to be open to the public.
After walking through the main entrance on the side nearest Interstate 80, customers will walk beneath Plexi glass aquarium arches as fish swim above their heads. After passing beneath the arches, a Ferris wheel will rise directly in front, reaching up to the second floor.
The store is just as much of an amusement park as a retail establishment, Theis said.
Near the entrances, Theis pointed out corners that would be the future home of three different mini-museums as well as a hall of fame dedicated to the athletic history of the University of Nevada, Reno. The three other displays pay homage to mountain bike inventor Gary Fisher, the history of the Ferris wheel and the North Face Company.
As customers cut straight across the store from the main entrance, they will run into Gramma Ginnas deli and coffee shop. There they will be able to sample elk, buffalo and ostrich along with Starbucks coffee and gelato.
“We try to appeal to the whole family,” Theis said. “It’s not just supposed to be shopping. It is supposed to be a fun place to be.”
Around the corner from the restaurant, the kids section will include a play structure for active kids and televisions with children’s movies playing for the more mellow crowd.
Up one flight of stairs a 40-foot-wide and 58-foot-long mountain will rise on the second floor and feature 12 different levels. As they circle the perimeter of the mountain, visitors will be able to learn about 300 taxidermied animals by tapping glass touch screens that surround the mountain.
Employees were arranging the hunting section of the store Tuesday, which stretches across the east side of the top level. After the store opens, it will employ about 500 people from the local area. In preparation for opening day, Scheels has brought in employees from around the company to help set the displays and train for opening.
"These are not temporary employees," said Jason Loney, a marketing representative from Scheels. "They are career Scheels associates who travel to help new stores."
The western half of the top level was being stocked with camping, golf, ski and exercise gear.
Behind a black canvas canopy on the second level sat the future home of a golf simulator where visitors will be able to test their golf skills, Theis said.
The store will house two other sports simulators on the second floor which will provide digital amenities for soccer, hockey, football and basketball practice. The simulators will require tokens or quarters.
Moving back toward the hunting section, a 20-yard archery shooting lane stretches along the back wall.
In a dimly lit corner of the second floor a series of imitation shotguns sat perched on a ledge, waiting for a customer to fire their lasers into one of the small red targets that were scattered about a marina boat house scene.
“I hope that people’s first impression is ‘Wow’,” Theis said. “There is nothing like this on the west coast. It is a place where dad can find what he needs, mom can find what she needs and the kids can have fun.”
Corrections made Aug. 11 per an e-mail from Scheels Marketing representative, Jason Loney: The entire Legends project is about $1.2 billion, all simulators require tokens or quarters and the 200 employees are not temporary, but travel to help open new stores.
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