Bangor Mall area lures new stores Dick’s Sporting Goods, Smokey Bones BBQ, Chili’s take steps toward opening

BANGOR – New retailers soon will grace the Bangor Mall shopping area as they step into spots once occupied by familiar names.

Dick’s Sporting Goods will open at the former Porteous location at Bangor Mall by the end of the summer.

Smokey Bones BBQ soon will occupy Paul’s Restaurant Speakeasy on Springer Drive, which closed March 31. And Chili’s soon will start construction of a free-standing restaurant on the corner of Gilman Road and Stillwater Avenue.

Bangor Mall manager James Gerety said Monday that Dick’s recently completed its lease and will be taking up the entire 68,000-square-foot location. Dick’s has more than 100 locations on the east side of the Mississippi River.

Porteous had occupied the center-mall anchor store from 1978, when the mall first opened, to early 2003.

“It’s a pretty big deal for us,” Gerety said.

Other stores that had pursued the Porteous location, but for unidentified reasons did not complete a contract, included Linens-N-Things, Old Navy, and Kohl’s, Gerety said.

Dan Wellington, code enforcement officer with the city of Bangor, said Monday that the Smokey Bones finished its permitting Monday morning and now is in the process of soliciting construction bids. Smokey Bones serves Southern-style barbecue and pulled-pork sandwiches.

Wellington also expected Chili’s to start construction soon. No opening date was available. Chili’s is known for its baby-back ribs.

Also on Stillwater Avenue, First New Hartford Development has been in negotiations with Judson Grant, owner of the former Queen City Trailer Park property. The land is located right off the Stillwater exit of Interstate 95, next to The Avenue strip mall.

Wellington said the company has presented the city with a preliminary site plan for a 200,000-square-foot retail space. He said the tenants have not been identified.

The city has been in negotiations with another company to develop a 250,000-square-foot retail space on Stillwater Avenue and Longview Drive, Wellington said. The property is next to The Home Depot, Burlington Coat Factory and Natural Living Center’s new location. The developer, however, recently asked the city to “slow down” the permitting process.