Muncy, Pa. — At this morning’s Lycoming County commissioners’ meeting, local officials gathered to announce and celebrate a Bass Pro Shops Outpost coming to the 120-acre site of the former Lycoming Mall.
With just one Bass Pro Shops and one Cabela's currently located in Pennsylvania, the store is sure to make a splash in Lycoming County’s local industry.
The retailer’s move-in to the former Best Buy store is expected to make the Muncy location and its surrounding area a place to “live, shop, dine, and explore,” said Executive Vice President of FamVest Ara Kervandjian. Construction is expected to begin when site planning efforts are completed.
The wait is over for The District — their anchor tenant has been secured.
The project, a two-year collaboration involving public and private partners, will create hundreds of jobs, generate substantial tax revenue, and attract regional tourism.
Famvest has committed over $10 million to bring Bass Pro Shops to life in Lycoming Valley — a major private investment in the region’s economic future. In 2024, Famvest commissioned an economic impact assessment, which estimated that the broader redevelopment would create 900–1,000 permanent jobs and over 400 construction jobs across the region.
Bass Pro Shops will hire locally, potentially creating over 100 jobs, and is expected to draw 2 million visitors annually.
Michael Dunham, president at Dunham Development, had the honors of revealing the “big, blue whale” FamVest had been working on securing for The District since purchasing the site in 2023.
The store hopes to act as a “gateway to Lycoming County and the PA Wilds,” highlighting the rural mountainous outdoors of the area, ripe for opportunities to use the store’s wares.
Commissioner Scott Metzger gleefully dons a Bass Pro Shops hat.
Commissioner Scott Metzger ventured to use a baseball term to express his excitement, calling the project a "Grand Slam" for the county with significant potential for future development.
“We knew the news was so good, we just couldn’t wait to announce it,” Commissioner Mark Mussina said, calling in remotely as he drove to his son’s state playoff baseball game.
Commissioner Marc Sortman wanted to make it “very clear” that monies were given to Bass Pro Shops, not the developer, as a "stimulus" for the retailer to set up shop in Muncy.
"I'd also like to clarify where these monies come from. They're coming from a county level, Act 13 monies, which is, for anybody that doesn't know, it's the gas impact fee."
Sortman went on to credit Senator Gene Yaw and other state representatives for their efforts made years ago to push legislation that would forward funds to counties — like Lycoming County — that were impacted by the gas industry's drilling.
Local officials, FamVest representatives, and Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce President Jason Fink (right) surround Michael Dunham.
Yaw and Representative Joe Hamm were present at the meeting to express their gratitude and excitement for the project's future.
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