Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane, has been awarded a contract to build the big new Cabelas Inc. store in Post Falls, and construction on the project could begin as early as next week, the giant sporting goods retailer says.


The Sidney, Neb.-based company plans to open the store in early to mid fall, says James Powell, spokesman for Cabelas.


Patrick Linhart, Vanderverts project manager, says, They wanted us to start next Monday, or as soon as all the permits are in order.


Linart, who met last week with Cabelas officials in Nebraska, says site work under way by Foursquare Properites Inc., of Carlsbad Calif., is expected to be complete Friday.


Details of the construction contract are still being worked out, but Vanderverts contract likely will be for $15 million to $20 million, Linhart says.


He says the Cabelas store will have nearly 130,000 square feet of floor space.


Cabelas will be the first tenant at the 200-acre retail development, to be called the Pointe at Post Falls and located north of Interstate 90 near the Spokane River on the west edge of Post Falls. The retail center is being developed by Foursquare Properties Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif.


Linhart says Vandervert expects to complete the Cabelas building by the end of September, then Cabelas will take another six weeks to move in and prepare to open.


He says Vandervert will be responsible for more elaborate finish work than usual for a large retail client.


A lot will fall to Vandervert to coordinate with subcontractors, as opposed to most larger chains that bring their own people in, Linhart says.


He says Cabelas isnt the biggest project hes managed, but its far from routine.


Cabelas has said the store will include a towering mountain replica with waterfalls and streams, a trout pond, and mounted trophy animals in re-creations of their habitats.


Also planned are an extensive gun display, an indoor archery range, and a deli-style restaurant.


We do a lot of retail, banks, and grocery store construction, Linhart says. With this (Cabelas), its exciting to have a project with this much pizzazz.


Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the architect for the project.


Cabelas has 18 retail stores, including another Idaho store that opened in Boise last August.


In addition to the planned new store in Post Falls, the company has announced plans to build 11 more stores, most of which would open this year, including a store in Lacey, Wash.


Contact Mike McLean at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at [email protected].