A new national retailer is coming to New Centre Drive in Wilmington.

The first North Carolina location of Sportsman's Warehouse, a publicly traded (Nasdaq: SPWH) seller of outdoor recreation apparel and gear, is expected to open its doors at 4715-A New Centre Drive, Wilmington, in the first half of 2017, according to the company's website and a news release.

The 30,000-square-foot space, previously occupied by Marshalls, is located in New Centre Market, a shopping center in front of Target that also includes OfficeMax, PetSmart and Party City among its tenants.

A Sportsman's Warehouse official signed a 10-year lease for the new location.

"The additions of these stores keep with our business plan, promoting stable growth that will benefit our company, our vendors, and most importantly, our loyal customers for many years to come," said John Schaefer, Sportsman's Warehouse CEO, in a release that announced four new locations, including Wilmington, in August.

On Monday, crews had added Sportsman's Warehouse to the New Centre Market sign and were working on renovating the former Marshalls space. Marshalls moved from the New Centre shopping complex to Mayfaire Community Center in 2014. 

In addition to being new to the Tar Heel state, Utah-based Sportsman's Warehouse is also new to West Virginia.

"To further expand in existing states and entry into two new states signifies our continued strength in the west and continued expansion east in markets with great potential," Schaefer said in the release. "Each of these areas has a strong outdoor heritage, and we plan to become an active, contributing partner in each of these great communities."

Efforts to reach Sportsman's Warehouse officials and a representative of Brixmor, the firm that owns New Centre Market, for additional details were not immediately successful Monday. 

According to the company's website, Sportsman's Warehouse serves outdoor enthusiasts, casual users and first time participants with brand-name hunting, fishing, camping and shooting merchandise "within a convenient shopping environment, serviced by passionate, knowledgeable associates."

Including openings planned for next year, Sportsman's Warehouse is expected to operate 82 stores in 22 states by the end of 2017, according to a November news release.