Bass Pro Shops to open on Fruitville Road

Bass Pro Shops announced Monday in a press release that it will open an 80,000-square-foot "Outpost" location as part of a larger mixed-use development — Fruitville Commons — at the intersection of I-75 and Fruitville Road. The store is part of the Fruitville Initiative, a Sarasota County planning project affecting more than 400 acres of land east of I-75.

The store will feature the nautical-themed bowling alley and restaurant Uncle Bucks FishBowl and Grill. It will be the 14th Bass Pro Shops in Florida and will create 200 full-and part-time jobs.

The Fruitville Initative intends to encourage compact, mixed-use developments with walkable features and open space, as opposed to sprawling suburbs or big-box stores, and provide infrastructure to support a major employment center.