Bass Pro Shops is moving closer to opening its new Victor location at Eastview Mall, with construction progressing inside and outside the store and a two-day hiring event set for next week.
The company is looking to hire about 150 full- and part-time employees for the 90,000-square-foot store, which is taking shape in the former Lord & Taylor space. Eastview Mall said this week that the project is visibly nearing completion, though Bass Pro Shops has not yet announced an opening date.
The hiring event will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17 at the new store at 700 Eastview Mall Drive. On-site interviews will be conducted both days.
Bass Pro Shops is hiring across all departments. The company says eligible employees may receive merchandise discounts of up to 50%, competitive wages, holiday and vacation pay and health, dental and life insurance benefits.
Project has moved steadily through 2026
Bass Pro Shops first announced plans for the Victor store in 2025, positioning it as the company’s fifth New York location and a major retail addition for the Finger Lakes and Rochester region.
Construction was underway by February, with crews beginning the conversion of the long-vacant former Lord & Taylor building at Eastview Mall.
The project also moved through local zoning review this spring.
In May, the Victor Zoning Board of Appeals approved a package of signage variances for the store after Bass Pro representatives revised earlier plans. The approved package covered branded signs, total sign square footage, typeface limits and a wayfinding sign on a separate Eastview Mall parcel.
The project has been described as a roughly 90,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outpost, though one local zoning review referenced the former department store space as approximately 92,000 square feet.
Store to include outdoor-themed displays
The Victor location is expected to carry merchandise for fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, camping, backpacking and other outdoor activities.
Bass Pro Shops has also said the store will feature aquariums, wildlife displays and seasonal experiences designed around the company’s outdoor-focused retail format.
When the project was announced, Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris said the Finger Lakes region’s outdoor recreation opportunities were part of the appeal.
The company has said the store will incorporate design elements tied to the sporting and outdoor heritage of Upstate New York.
Hiring target grows from earlier estimate
Bass Pro Shops initially said the Victor store was expected to create more than 120 jobs.
The upcoming hiring event indicates the company is now looking to fill about 150 positions ahead of opening.
Eastview Mall’s latest update said the store is “getting closer and closer to opening,” with work advancing both inside and outside the building.
A grand opening date has not yet been released. Bass Pro Shops says that announcement will come soon.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.