Cabela’s announces plans for Anchorage store

ANCHORAGE — Cabela's Inc. announced plans Thursday to begin construction on a 100,000-square-foot store on the south side of Anchorage and another smaller location in Saginaw, Mich.

Construction on the Anchorage store, near the intersection of W. 104th Avenue and C Street, will begin in spring 2013 with opening scheduled for spring 2014.

The announcement runs contrary to local rumors about a Cabela’s or Costco locating in Four Corners area near the intersection of Palmer-Wasilla Highway and Trunk Road.

The Alaska Native Corp. CIRI owns a large parcel of land near that intersection and earthwork that leveled a large hill on the site this summer set speculators prognosticating about what might be planned for the site.

CIRI spokesman Jim Jager said earlier this week that his company planned mixed-retail-residential development on its parcel near Four Corners. But, he said, project plans are preliminary and the company isn’t talking with any specific retailers yet.

The Anchorage Cabela’s store is expected to employ about 200 full- and part-time employees, according to the press release announcing the project. The company says the store also will feature a 5,575-gallon aquarium, a gun library, bargain cave and fudge shop.

“What can I say about Alaskans? We love them; so many of them live the Cabela's lifestyle. We love the whole Last Frontier state and what it represents,” Cabela's Chief Executive Officer Tommy Millner says in the release. “Cabela's has had great customers in Alaska, essentially since the company started more than 50 years ago. We've lost count of how many times Alaskans have told us they rely on Cabela's not only for their outdoor recreation, but for their everyday living. For years, we've wanted to build a store there for our loyal customers.”

Currently, Cabela's operates 37 stores across the United States and Canada.