Dick’s Sporting Goods to open 2 new stores

Dick’s Sporting Goods is opening two new stores at malls in Massapequa and Bay Shore, the malls’ operator announced Wednesday.

Both stores are expected to open in April, and construction work is already underway, Westfield Corp. said in a news release.

In Massapequa, Dick’s will operate a 53,000-square-foot store on the lower level of the shuttered Walmart store in the Westfield Sunrise mall. Westfield is negotiating with two tenants that are expected to divide the upper level, a mall spokeswoman said.

In Bay Shore, Dick’s will occupy 111,000 square feet on the first and second floors of the former Sears store at Westfield South Shore.

The opening of the two stores demonstrates Westfield’s “ongoing commitment to the growth of these communities and to provide our Long Island customers with a broad range of shopping options,” Virginia Pepe, general manager of the two malls, said in a statement.

A mall spokeswoman said she did not know yet how many people will be employed at the two new stores. A Dick’s spokesman had no immediate comment.

Last month, Dick’s announced it was hiring about 100 full- and part-time workers for a new store expected to open this summer at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. The Pennsylvania-based Dick’s also operates six other stores on Long Island, in Lake Grove, Commack, Melville, Patchogue, Riverhead and at the Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City.

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The Massapequa Dick’s will be located just north of a Sports Authority store that is expected to close by August, as part of that chain’s bankruptcy plan. Melville-based A&G Realty Partners is accepting bids for Sports Authority store leases in Massapequa and other locations through June 23.

Englewood, Colorado-based Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March.

By Maura McDermott

maura.mcdermott@newsday.commauramcdermott

Maura McDermott covers health care and other business news on Long Island.