Dick’s Sporting Goods Closes “Store 1″ in Binghamton, New York

For the first time in nearly eight decades, the company that grew into Dick's Sporting Goods has no store in its birthplace of Binghamton, New York.

The company's oldest store at 347 Court Street on the city's East Side closed its doors forever on Friday.

The business was a source of pride for the city and for the neighborhood since it was founded by Richard Stack in 1948. His tiny bait and tackle shop grew into a multi-billion-dollar empire with more than 700 stores.

What's been known as the chain's "Store Number 1" - with its unique "Dick's Clothing & Sporting Goods" sign - is small compared to most of the company's current locations.

The Court Street site has only 13,000 square feet of space compared to the company's massive 140,000-square-foot "House of Sport" that opened at the Oakdale Commons in Johnson City in 2023.

People who worked and shopped at the Binghamton store expressed disappointment at the company's decision to abandon the city where it all started.

One employee said the closing announcement "came as a surprise to everyone." The worker suggested the seemingly-sudden move was prompted by a desire to boost quarterly earnings.

Long-time Binghamton residents reminisced about shopping at the store with their parents when they were kids.

Some lamented the closing, saying they never expected to see the day that the store would be shut down.

Dick's Sporting Goods officials have offered no public explanation for the decision to shut down the Court Street store.

The company - now headquartered near Pittsburgh - has not indicated what it intends to do with the Binghamton property.

Employees said they expected the site would be sold but they said there had been no announcement of a possible sale.

In addition to the Johnson City store, Dick's Sporting Goods also operates an outlet center in Vestal.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A visit to the Court Street store shortly before it went out of business on February 28, 2025.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.