JCPenney has closed its doors at CoolSprings Galleria, ending its run as one of the Franklin mall's longtime anchor stores. In its place, shoppers can expect something considerably more athletic: a sprawling DICK'S House of Sport location featuring a climbing wall, golf simulator bays and a multi-sport batting cage, expected to open in early 2028.
The closure was confirmed by Williamson Source, which reported that the former JCPenney space will become the new DICK'S House of Sport. The department store had served as an anchor retailer at CoolSprings Galleria for years before shutting down, marking yet another shift for the Franklin shopping center's lineup of tenants.
A First for Greater Nashville
The new store will be the first DICK'S House of Sport location in the greater Nashville area, according to a press release cited by Nasdaq. Stephen D. Lebovitz, chief executive officer of CBL Properties, said the first DICK'S House of Sport in the greater Nashville area will be located at CoolSprings Galleria. The 100,000-plus-square-foot experiential store is designed to pack in far more than racks of gear.
Shoppers can expect a climbing wall, golf bays equipped with TrackMan simulators, and a HitTrax multi-sport cage that can be used for baseball, softball and soccer, per the same release. Construction on the new store is expected to begin following JCPenney's closure, with the location targeted to open in early 2028. A similar DICK'S House of Sport concept opened this past July at The Parks Mall at Arlington in Texas, featuring virtual golf, virtual batting cages and a rock climbing wall, according to the City of Arlington.
Part of a Bigger Shakeup at the Mall
JCPenney's departure marks another change for CoolSprings Galleria, which has already seen notable moves this year. Tennessee's first L.L.Bean store opened at the property in July, Lebovitz noted, and CBL Properties sold land to Greystar for a planned 361-unit upscale residential development. CBL Properties continues to introduce new retailers and experiences designed to attract shoppers to the Franklin property.
Those moves fit into a larger redevelopment push at the mall. CBL Properties has proposed turning CoolSprings Galleria into a mixed-use destination with retail, residential units, restaurants, a hotel and greenspace, according to WKRN. The proposal calls for 76,645 square feet of new restaurant and retail space, 600 multifamily residential units and 120 hotel rooms spread across the property's 86.5 acres, with greenspace expanding from roughly 13 acres to about 18 acres.
CBL has submitted a planned unit development amendment and rezoning request to the city to give the project flexibility going forward, WKRN reported, and the plan is set to go through several readings and public hearings before a final vote. It is not clear from available records how that broader redevelopment proposal relates to the separate 361-unit Greystar project already announced for the site.
