Sports Authority will open a store in City Center in downtown Minneapolis, adding to the resurgence of the shopping center along Nicollet Mall.

The full-line sporting goods retailer said Tuesday it will open a 22,000-square-foot location on the ground floor of City Center this fall.

"We're excited to bring our passion for sports and our unparalleled selection of sporting goods and apparel to the Minneapolis City Center, and we look forward to being part of the vibrant retail and lifestyle atmosphere in downtown," Michael Foss, CEO of Sports Authority, said in a statement.

Having the retailer downtown will bring back sporting goods to the area. Since Nick's Sporting Goods closed more than five years ago, only Dome Souvenirs Plus remained, in the periphery across from the former Metrodome.

"I think Sports Authority will be going after the core of people living downtown," said Ray Crump Jr., co-owner of Dome Souvenirs.

Nearly 39,000 residents now live downtown, an increase of 22 percent over the past nine years, according to the Minneapolis Downtown Council.

The Englewood, Colo., company has 10 stores in the Twin Cities, but the new store will be the first Twin Cities' location in a city center. The retailer has other downtown locations in Chicago and Denver.

Sports Authority will be across the hall from Saks Off Fifth outlet in City Center. Saks announced last month that it will open a 40,000 square-foot outlet in April 2016, replacing its store in Gaviidae Common that recently closed.

Downtown Council Chief Executive Steve Cramer said he expects even more retail opening announcements to come. "There are more possibilities in City Center, but also in the IDS Concourse and Gaviidae Common," he said.

City Center was acquired by Shorenstein properties in 2012, a privately owned real estate firm with offices in San Francisco and New York. The center is currently 86 percent leased on the first and second floors.