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Scripps News
- Dick’s House of Sport, an interactive sporting-goods store, will have its grand opening at Polaris Fashion Place on Aug. 15-17.
- The new store replaces the former Dick’s Sporting Goods and Public Lands stores at the mall.
- The grand-opening weekend will feature appearances by Archie Griffin and Jeremiah Smith, giveaways and opportunities to donate used sports equipment.
Dick’s House of Sport will dedicate an entire weekend to celebrate its grand opening at Polaris Fashion Place.
In January, it was announced that the sporting-goods chain would replace the Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Polaris with a newer, interactive sports-store concept. Now, central Ohio will see Dick’s House of Sport during its official opening on Aug. 15 at 1510 Polaris Fashion Place.
House of Sport, which first opened in 2021 in upstate New York, blends retail and an interactive hub. From a rock-climbing wall, golf simulators, batting cages and a turf field for testing gear, this is central Ohio’s first House of Sport location.
A soft opening on Aug. 6 set the scene for the grand-opening weekend, Aug. 15-17, which will include numerous activities for anyone in the community to explore the 100,000-square-foot space.
Special appearances by Archie Griffin on Aug. 16 and current Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on Aug. 17 are expected to stir excitement for the new location, along with a few giveaways, gift cards and freebies.
The first 300 guests will receive a CALIA Stanley, according to a company press release. Guests can also enter into a mystery gift-card raffle to win a $500 gift card, and the first 100 kids in line could receive a Dick’s Sporting Goods soccer ball.
Shoppers are also encouraged to bring gently used sports equipment to support Level the Playing Field Ohio, an initiative to make sports more accessible for local youth.
Dick’s Sporting Goods first opened in Polaris in 2015 with its sister outdoor retailer, Public Lands, opening in an adjacent space in 2021. The new two-level House of Sport replaces both stores.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is to open about 70 to 100 House of Sports stores by 2027.
Trending features reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.