Gander Outdoors offers a surprise as it reopens six Minnesota stores this year

With the last vestiges of Gander Mountain gone, the outdoors retailer now called Gander Outdoors is expected to reopen six Minnesota stores this year.

Two stores in Lakeville and Hermantown have been back in business for more than a month, and the Forest Lake store set up shop earlier this week. Its grand opening is set for March 31.

Stores in Baxter and Bemidji are coming back and, in a surprise move, so is one in Eden Prairie.

But another location that was previously thought to be coming back, in Woodbury, apparently won't.

Previously, the Woodbury location was supposed to move to a different site across the highway. Marcus Lemonis, chairman of parent company Camping World Holdings, mentioned moving "across the highway with reasonable rent" in a tweet last summer. It appears that is no longer going to happen, according to the company's website.

Representatives from Gander Outdoors could not be reached for confirmation.

The Eden Prairie location is now expected to reopen in April, Gander's website said. Back in June, Lemonis said that the proposed Southwest light-rail line would squash the store's chances of reopening because the avenue on which it is located, Technology Drive, would become a one-way street. "No thanks," he tweeted.

After his tweet, Lemonis received responses that the route had already changed. "Southwest LRT will not run on Technology Drive east of Prairie Center Drive, and Gander Mountain will not be impacted," said Laura Baenen, communications manager for the Southwest LRT Project.

"We look forward to seeing large crowds across the country as we continue the next phase of reopening Gander retail stores," Lemonis said in a statement. "We are excited to continue expanding our outdoor industry footprint, while supporting economic growth across the country."

Lemonis bought Gander Mountain nearly a year ago after it entered bankruptcy. Stores in Blaine, Mankato, Rochester, Rogers and St. Cloud were among the 160 outlets that closed. In the most recent earnings call, Lemonis said that more than 70 of those locations will be back in business by June.

Gander Outdoors stores have an expanded selection of fishing, hiking, biking and kayaking accessories and slightly reduced sections of archery, hunting gear and firearms.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633