Bass Pro Shop joins in the regeneration of Ohio’s Eastwood Mall

Over the past two years, Eastwood Mall outside of Youngstown, Ohio, has executed leases with a bevy of new restaurants and landed a Meijer superstore. This week it hauled in Bass Pro Shops Outpost.

“Shaking hands with [Bass Pro Shops founder] Johnny Morris to bring one of his amazing retail stores here is a crown jewel addition to this complex and the entire region,” said Anthony Cafaro Jr., co-president of Cafaro Properties.

Eastwood is Cafaro’s largest property, encompassing 1.7 million sq. ft. of enclosed mall and 1.4 million sq. ft. of power center space.

The 63,000-sq.-ft. Bass Pro Outpost will be located in the Howland Commons section of the complex, across from the soon-to-be opened Meijer and Home Goods stores. It is expected to be open and running in early 2024.

Outposts carry less theming and merchandise than Bass Outdoor World stores, which run as large as 500,000 sq. ft. It will be Bass Pro’s seventh location in Ohio, but the first in the Mahoning Valley that has a population of 540,000 people—a large percentage of which commutes to work in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

“This part of the world is home to a proud sporting heritage,” said Morris, who began selling fishing tackle out of his father’s liquor store in 1972  and has since grown it into a 177-store chain. “Our latest Bass Pro Shop in Ohio will make it easy for people and families to enjoy time together in the woods and on the water.  For that we, we are deep down proud and excited.”

Over the last 24 months, Cafaro has also embarked on a wide expansion of Eastwood’s food and beverage options. They will number more than 30 when a new spate of restaurants open, many of them fast casual and sit-down establishments such as Longhorn Steakhouse and Mission BBQ.