Academy Will Exit Long-Time Site for 68,000-SF Store

AUSTIN-Academy Sports & Outdoors will more than quadruple the size of its central Austin store when it moves 34 blocks north on Interstate 35 to a new building. With the move, the Houston-based chain will close the 15,000-sf store at 4103 I-35 that it’s occupied since 1958.

The new store at 7513 N. I-35 measures 68,000 sf and affords wider aisles, greater selection, improved checkout and more parking. The new Austin store will increase its staff by 350%, bringing the number to about 90 employees. The store will be managed by store director Roy Campa. The old store closes June 16 and the new store has its grand opening July 13.

The move continues Academy’s store shuffling in the Austin area. In November, it moved into a 67,000-sf store at 12250 Research Blvd., which had been a Wal-Mart store.

Academy operates four other stores in Austin and plans to open one in Round Rock. The company plans to add five more stores this year chain wide.