Bass Pro Shops On Track To Open By October, Officials Say
The Planning Board approved a larger entrance portico, a new sign and the temporary relocation of the store’s outdoor boat inventory.
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SAYREVILLE — Sayreville’s long-awaited Bass Pro Shops could open within the next 60 days as work continues inside the 200,000-square-foot store at the Riverton development.
Project Executive Mark Feda provided the timeline Wednesday night as the Sayreville Planning Board unanimously approved several adjustments to the site plan.
“The Bass Pro project, first of all, is moving towards completion,” Feda said. “We’ll have an opening here within probably the next 60 days.”
The approval allows the developer to build a larger covered entrance, install a backlit sign and temporarily move Bass Pro Shops’ outdoor boat inventory closer to the building while construction continues elsewhere at Riverton.
Work Is Moving Inside The Store
Feda told the board that Bass Pro Shops is now completing work inside the building.
Fire alarms, sprinklers, generators and mechanical equipment are operational, and the building has passed life-safety inspections, he said.
Feda described reaching that point as “a big achievement.”
Although his testimony provided the clearest opening estimate to date, an official opening date was not announced during the meeting.
A Larger Entrance Is Planned
One of the most visible changes will be at the front of the store.
The developer received approval to replace a previously planned 240-square-foot canopy with a 1,500-square-foot open-air portico.
The covered structure will stand 20 feet, 6 inches high and will be reserved for pedestrians.
Feda said the larger portico will protect customers from bad weather while providing “a gathering place to enter the grand entrance to the building.”
The board also approved a 260-square-foot backlit sign on the front of the store.
Council President John Zebrowski asked whether it would be a digital sign.
“Yeah, it’s not digital,” Feda said. “So fixed to the front of the building and backlit.”
When Feda added that the plans could still change, Planning Board Chairman Thomas Tighe pointed to the proposed opening timeline.
“Only have 60 days,” Tighe said. “Put them on the clock.”
Why The Boat Storage Area Is Moving
The second change involves where Bass Pro Shops will keep its outdoor boat inventory.
Attorney Jennifer Phillips Smith, representing developer Sayreville Seaport Associates Urban Renewal, LP, said the previously approved storage location is no longer practical while other portions of Riverton remain under construction.
“As you know, Bass Pro sells boats,” Smith said. “We previously had approval to store the boats in one portion of the site. Due to some operational issues, we’d like to store them closer to the main building, where they can be more readily accessible while the rest of the site is still under construction.”
The newly approved temporary storage yard will be located on an outparcel directly north of the store.
Engineer and Planner of Record Dan Bush said trees and other landscaping will screen the area from internal roads and the nearby southbound Garden State Parkway.
“From off the site, you won’t be able to see the boat storage area,” Bush said.
The Temporary Yard Was Designed With Riverton’s Future In Mind
The boat storage area is expected to move again as Riverton develops.
Bush said engineers positioned a stormwater inlet so it can eventually become part of a planned northern extension of Riverton Crossing.
“When in the future the boat storage area gets relocated, that inlet stays there and gets utilized for the future road extension,” Bush said.
The board approved seven design waivers for the secure inventory yard. The plans include:
- A 24-foot-wide driveway
- An 8-foot black vinyl chain-link fence
- No public sidewalks around the storage area
Bush said the yard will not be open for customers to enter on their own.
“Obviously, we don’t want the public to walk to the boat storage area,” Bush said. “We’re keeping it as a secure area.”
Customers will only be allowed inside while accompanied by a store employee between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to testimony presented to the board.
Will Boats Be Repaired Outside?
Board member Judy Lahrman asked whether boat repairs would take place in the outdoor yard.
Bush said repairs will be performed inside designated facilities rather than in the storage area.
The outdoor space will have access to water so employees can wash the boats, he said.
The amended site plan received unanimous approval from the Planning Board.
The vote allows the entrance and boat-storage changes to move ahead as Bass Pro Shops continues preparing the store for its anticipated opening.
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