Nike store opening in former bowling museum in downtown St. Louis - St. Louis Business Journal:

sucujovide.wordpress.com
The store will occupy about 60 percenr to 70 percent ofthe building’ss ground level and hopes to cash in on the influxs of visitors expected when St. Louis hosts the All-Star Game July 14. Delaware North Companiews , which manages retail sales and concessions at Busch will operate the store in cooperation with saidDan Fetcho, Sportservice’s regional manager. Management expecte to take advantage of foot traffic in the particularly when the playhome games. During the thred days before the All-Star the Nike store will also host 20 to 30baseballk greats, including several Hall of for autograph sessions, said Linda Hoernig, Sportservice’d retail director.
Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Willie McGee, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver and Tony Gwynn are just a few of the formert players scheduled to beon hand. Autograph tickets will be sold in advancse and at the door by MAB Celebrity Servicedsof Fairfield, N.J. Nike will use about 2,50o to 3,000 square feet of space and isinvesting “sixz figures” into the store’s build-out, Fetcho said. The athletic shoe and apparelk company is bringing in new fixturee and tables and giving the interior afresyh look. Nike plans to work on the exterior of the buildingthis week.
Fetcho said the store will operated throughthe All-Star Game and “hopefully beyone that,” but did not disclosr the length of the Nike agreement. “I think Nike will be theree as long as we have the said Cardinals President BillDeWitt III. The Cardinals own the but the property is slated to eventually make way for new construction under current plans forBallpark Village, a six-squard block multi-use development planned by the Cardinals and codeveloper The of This lease could serve as a tryoutg for longer-term occupancy. Asked about Nike’s potentiaol as Ballpark Village tenant, Fetcho “We’re interested to see what kind of activitytwe receive.
” The International Bowling Museumk and Hall of Fame in November and vacate its downtownb St. Louis building in January. The which had operated in St. Louis since 1984, is expected to re-open in Arlington, Texas, in 2010.