Bass Pro Shops opens in A.C., drawing a crowd - and Christie

ATLANTIC CITY - Gov. Christie ran a bit late from his Wednesday appearance in New Hampshire to cut the new store's ribbon, but that didn't discourage the massive crowd that wanted to be among the first to enter the new Bass Pro Shops Outpost, the latest element in this city's revitalization efforts.

As Christie finally hit the stage 20 minutes late, at 6:20 p.m., he endured loud boos from Eagles fans because of his affinity for the Dallas Cowboys. To appease them, he called former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook - standing behind him onstage, along with Miss New Jersey 2014, the current Miss America, and NASCAR driver Tony Stewart - to come forward. Christie then gave him a bear hug.

"I love Brian Westbrook," Christie gushed as the audience of about 500 cheered.

Christie had more praise for Bass founder and owner Johnny Morris. "I'm going to tell Johnny right now, this is one of the greatest investments Bass Pro Shops has ever made," he said of the Atlantic City store, the latest addition to the Tanger Shops at the Walk - an outdoor outlet mall covering nine blocks from the Atlantic City Convention Center to the Boardwalk casinos. The 85,000-square-foot venue is Bass' 71st store in the United States and Canada, and first in the Northeast Corridor, said company officials.

"We are thrilled to be here," Morris said. To his right was the shuttered Trump Plaza, one of four casinos that closed last year. The new store represents another move by Atlantic City to diversify its economy.

"This is destination retail," said John Palmieri, executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA).

Palmieri said the store is expected to attract three million visitors in its first year. The CRDA secured the land - about three acres - for the Cordish Co., the Baltimore-based developer of the Walk, and allowed $12 million of the $30 million project in low-interest loans for Bass Pro Shops. The agency also agreed with Cordish to split the first $5 million in sales-tax receipts. Clothing is not taxed in New Jersey, but everything else in the store will be.

"There are very few companies in the world that are more sought-after than Bass Pro Shops," said Blake Cordish, vice president of Cordish Co. "This is their crème de la crème."

After the ribbon cutting, the store's glass doors were opened to a seemingly endless stream of people.

"This is huge," Mayor Don Guardian said as he greeted customers. "This is the beginning of the diversification that we're talking about, away from casinos."

Claudia Miller, 48, of Ocean View, Cape May County, grabbed a fishing rod for her 10-year-old daughter, Rachel. She said she and her whole family were anglers, regularly going to lakes in Cape May County to fish for bass and bluegill.

"My husband was like a little boy on Christmas this morning," Miller said.