The Square at Bridgeport has another new tenant. And this one is coming in with a little bit of a big reputation in the market they serve.

 

Last week, a building permit was filed by Fat Tire Cycle & Sport, LLC. The business will be located in the site where the laundry mat was formerly located and they will be doing a $30,000 buildout. Sanders Contracting out of Fairmont, according to the permit, will handle the work.

 

If the name sounds familiar to some, it should. The reason is that Fat Tire Cycle has been in business for more than two decades although the current owner – Matt Bennett – has operated it for the last two years after buying it out. Currently, Fat Tire Cycle has a location in Buckhannon.

 

“We’ve been looking at Bridgeport for around a year and when we saw the space … and found out about the trail work going on it seemed like a no-brainer and now we’re ready to get started,” said Bennett.

 

The trail system in question is the existing city trail system. Also, plans are in the works to do a walking and biking trail from the Compton Park area to the Bridgeport Recreation Complex along with a trail from Hinkle and Deegan Lakes toward Main Street, which will be a trail right in front of the new business.

 

“The trails are certainly important and I’ve done trail rides in Bridgeport on and off with a group of eight to 25 riders that are really committed,” said Bennett. “I also know a handful of business owners that describe the community as growing and active.

 

“On top of that, you know the community is active including the younger generation that is so successful athletically at Bridgeport High School and Bridgeport Middle School,” he continued. “You have that, the new trails, road bikers that say the city roads are in great shape, being close to places like Watters Smith State Park and you have what you need in this line of work.”

 

Bennett said the hope is to keep both shops open, at least keeping the Buckhannon site open on a part-time basis and if everything works out that’s what will happen. He said the commitment is in Bridgeport and hopes to be open soon.

 

A soft opening will take place in May. Bennett plans a grand opening that month as well. The store will be open Monday through Saturday with hours yet to be determined.

 

“This is the type of specialty store that fits in very nicely to the development and with the city,” said Bridgeport Community Development Director Andrea Kerr. “We don’t have anything like this in the city limits so it’s nice to see the variety. It’s also nice to see a business that will definitely see traffic as the result of a city project, in this case the new trails going in.”

 

Fat Tire Cycle & Sport features Trek bikes and other brands for bikes and recreational needs such as Western Mountaineering, Big Agnes, Bontrager and many more. If it’s biking and outdoors related, Bennett said they likely will have it.