PALM BEACH GARDENS — A major sporting goods retailer has moved one step closer to becoming a new anchor for the Gardens Mall.
The Palm Beach Gardens City Council has given a preliminary approval for Dick’s House of Sports after voting 5-0 on Thursday, Aug. 6 for first readings of ordinances that would allow for the construction of a new retail store and outdoor athletic field in the Gardens Mall space formerly occupied by Sears.
A final vote is expected to take place in September. The vote appears to be a mere formality as council members largely spoke favorably about the project, and then voted unanimously to support it.
“This is obviously a huge recreation area and (Dick’s) partnership as you come into the community, that will be really special for us,” council member Bert Premuroso said. “We’d really love to foster that and our recreation and parks team are phenomenal, so that’s going to be a great partnership.”
Shannon Yeakel, senior director of real estate development for Dick’s Sporting Goods, told council members the company hopes to begin construction in early 2027, if it receives final approval, with an opening targeted for the spring of 2028.
Sears, one of the mall’s original anchor tenants, closed in March of 2024.
In its place, Dick’s is hoping to build a Dick’s House of Sports, a division of the sporting goods retailer that combines interactive activities with traditional retail shopping.
In addition to selling sports equipment, the House of Sports locations offer in-store experiences such as rock climbing walls, batting cages, and golf simulators.
Dick’s has opened similar stores in Miami and Tampa.
Yeakel said the outdoor field would be available for organized events, as well as for general access. It would only be accessible during store hours, she said.
If the project wins final approval, it would feature a 140,000 square foot store, a 47,000 square foot expansion of the mall, and an 18,000 square foot outdoor field.
In July, the city’s Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval.
Gardens blocked sporting goods retailers’ previous effort
The recommendation came more than a decade after city and mall officials fought efforts by Dick’s to sublease space from Sears, at the time citing concerns over the sporting goods retailer’s sales of guns and ammunition.
Sears began discussions with Dick’s in 2011 about subleasing its second floor. However, the city and mall officials fought the effort, questioning Sears’ ability to sublease.
In 2012, The Forbes Company, the mall’s owner, sought and gained a resolution from the city that said Sears couldn’t lease its space without the approval of both the mall’s owner and the city. Sears sued the city over this and won. It also sued the mall.
The city continued to push back against Dick’s presence, in 2017 arguing that selling guns at the mall would show disregard for public safety. Concerns escalated after a shooting in the mall’s parking lot that year.
Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped selling guns after the 2018 mass school shooting at a Parkland high school that killed 17 people and wounded 17 others. It eventually dropped its plans to open at The Gardens Mall, which became the site of another shooting on Valentine’s Day in 2024.
By March 2024, the Sears was fully closed.
In 2025, new plans for a Dick’s store were submitted to the city. In its application, the mall’s owner said Dick’s is needed to “further the mall’s position within the region’s retail market,” citing its goal to have an “innovative” mix of stores.
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dick’s sports wins preliminary approval for Gardens Mall site
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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By Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
