LOVELAND - Bass Pro Shops is opening a new mega-store at Centerra, in what will be its third location in Colorado.

The 117,000-square-foot project will anchor a larger development that Centerra said will include a 100-room hotel and five other retailers, though none were named.

Centerra's big retailers already include two big sporting-goods companies — a Dick's Sporting Goods and a Sportsman's Warehouse. But Centerra General Manager Jay Hardy said he anticipates limited fallout because Bass Pro is seen as a destination, not just a store.

The news served as the latest sign of a turnaround in the region's retail sector, following the recently announced acquisition of the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins by a company with big plans to overhaul the aging complex.

In its announcement Thursday, Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro Shops said it had signed a letter of intent with Centerra developer McWhinney to build the store at the northeast corner of Interstate 25 and Highway 34.

The project is expected to help create about 250 jobs.

"With the addition of this retail area, Centerra retail sales are expected to exceed $500 million annually," Hardy said.

Hardy said that site