The Parkway West corridor is the next target for expansion by the Boscov's department store chain. Following the successful 2006 debut of stores at former Kaufmann's in Monroeville Mall and South Hills Village, the Reading-based retailer is set to be one of the anchor tenants for the proposed Settlers Ridge lifestyle shopping complex in Robinson, it was disclosed Friday. "It (Robinson) is what we call a super regional trade area," said real estate broker David Glickman, one of several speakers at an Airport Area Chamber of Commerce program yesterday. "The retail area is so accessible. It draws from many portions of Greater Pittsburgh, Eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia," said Glickman, an agent with Grubb & Ellis Co. "Retailers and developers look at drive-time demographics: 800,000 people can get there within 20 minutes." Boscov's would anchor a Fashion District at the 79-acre Settlers Ridge complex, said James C. Castillo, a developer involved with the project. Castillo is director of retail development for Charlotte-based Faison Enterprises Inc., co-developer with CBL & Associates Properties of Chattanooga, Tenn. CBL owns the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville and the Westmoreland Mall east of Greensburg. "People are enjoying the shopping experience more," said Castillo in describing the term "lifestyle" center. "You're seeing the de-malling of America, where malls are being opened up and old main street nostalgia of being able to park in front of the store and walk and enjoy the retail environment is where retail has been going in the last decade. This is part of that evolution," he said. Construction could be under way by summer, with opening by the fall of 2008. A 16-screen Cinemark theater previously was identified as an anchor tenant for the 718,000-square-foot project. Faison's Internet site lists two other potential anchors, an REI outdoor products store and a Barnes & Noble book store. Two hotels, providing up to 250 guest rooms, are expected to be added to the tenant mix. A site plan for the project identifies one of the hotels as a Courtyard by Marriott and the other as a Starwood Westin brand. The plan shows the proposed Boscov's with two levels, each with 75,000 square feet of space. Megan Behrbaum, a spokeswoman for Recreational Equipment Inc., of Kent, Wash., would not confirm that one of its REI stores would be part of the project. REI has a store at the SouthSide Works on Pittsburgh's South Side. "REI has not formally announced its presence within Settlers Ridge," she said. Boscov's officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. Area real agents have said the company would be a likely candidate for an available department store site at the giant Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex in Frazer in northeastern Allegheny County. Either site, or both, would be a "good fit" for Boscov's, said Michael Hendrickson, president of the Hendrickson Retail Group of Collier. "I would suspect they would want to be in both markets," he said. "They don't have a presence in either market, and middle-market customers are Boscov customers," Adding stores allows for more efficient use of advertising dollars, said Hendrickson, who did not attend yesterday's chamber program. "I think they are looking to be in most of the top retail trading areas in the region, which include the South Hills, Monroeville and Cranberry, and Robinson's right up there," said Glickman. Earlier this year, Boscov's officials said their Monroeville and South Hills stores have proven to be the most profitable of the 10 stores the chain opened in 2006. However, the privately held chain does not disclose sales figures for individual stores. Boscov's has stores at Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca and Clearview Mall in Butler.

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