Northbridge Mall officials announced Friday they have signed a lease agreement for a new anchor store that not only will fill a space that has been vacant for about three years but also will need an expansion of the building.

Dunham’s Sports is slated to open in late spring of 2009, said Pam Folkens, marketing director at Northbridge Mall. It will move into a space where the Only Deals discount goods store once occupied. That spot was last used three years ago by Hy-Vee Warehouse. The annual Albert Lea Tribune’s annual Easter egg hunt was held there last year.

The nearest Dunham’s store is in Fairmont.

“We’re very excited because they will be a junior anchor,” Folkens said.

Herberger’s department store is the primary anchor at Northbridge Mall. In other words, Herberger’s is the largest store and Dunham’s Sports will be the second largest store.

The mall will need to add 10,000 square feet to accommodate the 24,000-square-foot sporting goods store, Folkens said.

Besides Fairmont, other Dunham’s Sports stores in Minnesota are in Duluth, Red Wing, Virginia, Waite Park and Wilmar. In Iowa, there are stores in Davenport, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Sioux City and Spencer. The company also has stores in South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland.

The company, based in Waterford, Mich., was founded in 1937 as Dunham’s Bait & Tackle, according to its Web site.

It also states: “Dunham’s stores were recently redesigned in a ‘race-track’ floor plan, to give better segmentation and provide a more unique shopping experience in a ‘superstore’ format. In addition to traditional sporting goods, Dunham’s stores now offer a full line of fashions and leisure clothing including blue jeans, shirts, sweaters, eyewear and athletic and casual footwear.”

Folkens said the mall staff is excited about the lease.

“It will be a really nice addition to both the mall and Albert Lea to have so much available in one location,” she said.