INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A Bass Pro Shop is finally coming to the Kansas City area, KMBC's Kris Ketz reported.

The sportsman's Mecca will be constructed at the southwest corner of Interstate 70 and Highway 291 in Independence. It will serve as the anchor store of a large retail development planned for the spot.

An 18-acre lake, nature center, hotel and at least three adjacent retail sites will also be constructed, Ketz reported. Developers want to break ground as soon as possible. They are receiving public help for the project in the form of tax-increment financing.

The hunting and fishing industry is a growing market, with more than $100 billion spent each year. And for millions of outdoor enthusiasts nationwide, Bass Pro Shops are the only place to drop a buck.

Like Cabela's near the Kansas Speedway, a Bass Pro Shop would be the kind of retail draw that makes cities drool. Cabela's was the top tourist spot in Kansas for 2002, attracting about 2 million visitors, even though the store was only open for the last five months of the year.

The nearest Bass Pro Shop is currently in Springfield, Mo.

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