Photo by Jon Anderson
Academy Sports Lee Branch 1-31-19
Customers come and go from the 71,000-square-foot Academy Sports + Outdoors store at The Village at Lee Branch, which is scheduled to close at the end of March 2019.
People who live in the U.S. 280 corridor in north Shelby County say they’re going to miss the Academy Sports + Outdoors store at The Village at Lee Branch, which is expected to close by the end of March.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Joyce Duncan, a resident of the Eagle Point subdivision. “I’d much rather shop here than Dick’s (down the road in Brook Highland Plaza). It’s a little bit more budget friendly, and I think it’s going to be a great loss for the area.”
People come from Chelsea and beyond to shop at the Academy Sports, she said.
“I come here to shop at least once a month,” she said. “I’m always looking for Auburn gear on sale.” Her husband likes to buy golf balls and other golf equipment there, she said. “It’s just really convenient to have it here.”
Duncan was among a throng of customers at the 71,000-square-foot store after news broke that it was closing and discount sale signs went up.
Randell Hill, a Birmingham police officer who lives in the Highland Lakes community, said he thinks the store closing is kind of sad. To him, it’s the only good sporting goods store in that part of town.
He likes to buy to his ammunition there, as well as workout apparel and shoes, he said.
P.K. Kacmarcik, who lives in the Meadow Brook community, said he shops at that Academy Sports at least a couple of times per month. He gets his hunting gear — guns, ammunition, bows and arrows and clothing — there. “They have a nice selection and a lot of stuff,” he said.
Rick and Brenda Brasfield, also of Meadow Brook, said they were surprised to hear about the closing because they thought the store did good business.
“Every time we've come in here, there were quite a few people in here,” Rick Brasfield said. “Their parking lot was always full. … I buy all my shoes at Academy — tennis shoes and things like that.”
The Brasfields said they also like to get sports equipment, camping gear, clothing and deer corn to feed the deer at their house. They also tend to buy a lot of Christmas presents for their six grandchildren there, they said.
“I don’t like it, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it,” Rick Brasfield said.
Several customers said they hope another sporting goods store will take the 71,000-square-foot spot. Duncan said she’d also like to see a Sam’s Club in the U.S. 280 corridor in north Shelby County.
A statement issued by Academy Sports + Outdoors said the company continues to evaluate its store portfolio as retail continues to be more competitive than ever.
“After the expiration of the lease and negotiations with the landlord, Academy made the difficult decision not to renew the lease of our store in the Lee Branch shopping center,” the company said. “Decisions to close stores are never made lightly. This decision is in no way a reflection of our commitment to our team members or to the Birmingham market. We do not have plans to close any other stores.”
Currently, Academy has 16 stores in Alabama, including locations in Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Foley, Gadsden, Hoover, Huntsville, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Prattville, Trussville and Tuscaloosa.
The store at The Village at Lee Branch has been there since 2003, said Elise Hasbrook, the company’s senior director of communications. It is one of the main anchors there, next to Publix.
Scott Plummer, the leasing agent for The Village at Lee Branch, said he does not yet know what will go into the Academy Sports space, but at least two new tenants are filling smaller spots in the shopping center, including a pizza restaurant and a women’s clothing boutique.
Meanwhile, the Academy store has been attracting a lot of customers as it runs sales to deplete its inventory there.
