Empty Nordstrom building at Short Pump mall to become region’s first House of Sport location

Dick’s House of Sport features things like climbing walls and batting cages in addition to athletic apparel and gear. (Courtesy Dick’s Sporting Goods)

The long-vacant former Nordstrom building at Short Pump Town Center has scored a new tenant.

Dick’s Sporting Goods is teeing up a location of its relatively new experiential House of Sport concept for the dormant two-story, 120,000-square-foot department store at 11812 W. Broad St., according to recent filings submitted to Henrico.

House of Sport locations feature facilities like batting cages, rock-climbing walls and outdoor fields in addition to retail sales of apparel and shoes found at the typical Dick’s store.

The project planned at the Nordstrom property includes “two-story gut renovations” and would involve a “playing field and retail,” according to a permit filed last week that identified the tenant as Dick’s. Another filing earlier this month described the project as a House of Sport location that would feature an outdoor field built in the parking lot of the mall.

More details about the project were unavailable, as was an anticipated opening date. The Dick’s press team didn’t respond to a request for comment on Friday. It’s unclear whether the two-story Dick’s Sporting Goods that’s currently open at Short Pump Town Center would continue to operate after the House of Sport opens.

Nordstrom exited its former space at Short Pump Town Center in 2020. (Jack Jacobs photo)

House of Sport is a fairly new and growing concept for Pennsylvania-based Dick’s. The first House of Sport opened in Victor, New York, four years ago. There are now 22 locations, including one in Chesapeake, listed on Dick’s website.

In its 2021 announcement about the debut of House of Sport, Dick’s described it as a concept that would “explore the future of retail through multi-sport experiences inside and outside the store.”

House of Sport locations also feature golf pro shops and services like bike repair. The company also positions the stores as venues for private events and birthday parties.

Nordstrom exited its anchor space at Short Pump mall in 2020, and the following year the mall’s owners bought the building from Nordstrom for $3.2 million. Nordstrom had been among the original stores at Short Pump Town Center when it opened in 2003, and its closing capped off a 17-year run at the mall.

Dick’s isn’t the only retailer plotting a new store at Short Pump Town Center. A Lego Store is also planned to open at the mall.

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