Mall at Robinson set to go
Construction workers at The Mall at Robinson mainly are working inside the mall now, plastering, sanding and tiling.
On the outside, shoppers are getting ready for a next-level shopping experience in the west suburbs and the traffic that is sure to come with it. The $130 million mall will open Oct. 26 in a Robinson Township commercial area that already is filled with strip shopping centers and 'big box' retailers.
Still, shoppers Dana Gallis and Eve Gould, both of Sheraden, say The Mall at Robinson is 'heaven-sent.'
'For years we would have to do our shopping at South Hills, North Hills and Monroeville,' Gallis said. 'The years of fighting traffic - all the headaches - will finally be over.'
The mall will have a great impact on the region, said Amy Brown, the newly hired mall marketing director.
'Where else do you know where you can go to get all of this retail in one area?' she asked. 'The Mall at Robinson will be the final piece of the pie out here.'
| The Mall at Robinson |
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The mall, which is about 90 percent leased, will have more than 100 stores and is expected to bring more than 4,000 jobs to the area.
Brown is working with the Airport Corridor Transportation Authority to sponsor a job fair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 for mall positions. The fair will be under a tent in front of the mall.
During a walking tour last week, Brown said Ohio-based developers Forest City Enterprises included a few amenities that are unique to the area, including:
Traffic concerns remain, although Brown said precautions have been taken to alleviate the expected congestion.
The mall is surrounded by six signaled intersections. Robinson Township has resurfaced and widened roads in the immediate area, and easily visible directional signs will help motorists get to their destinations quickly, Brown said.
The mall is nestled around three other blossoming retail parks - The Plaza at Robinson Town Centre, The Pointe at North Fayette and The Commons, a new 275-acre development adjacent to the mall.
But shoppers say the growing western suburbs still needed an enclosed mall.
'I'm just glad because there will finally be a place where we can be inside for everything we need,' said Gould, who was using a cane. 'I won't have to get in and out of the car to go to all the stores I want to visit.'
Gallis said, 'They're adding so many things, I hope the older stores don't go out of business. That's what happened with the area around Century III Mall. The older part of Route 51 is run down.'
Century III Mall is 1.8 million square feet and has 180 stores.
Before walking inside the Kaufmann's department store, which is open and will be part of the mall, shopper Joan Trosky glanced at workers putting the finishing touches on the exterior of JC Penney, one of the four anchor stores.
The other anchors are Dick's Sporting Goods and Sears, and there is room for a fifth anchor.
'This is nice. It's exciting. I am happy the mall is finally here, but I am also nervous. We're getting too much stuff out here, and I am worried about all the traffic it's going to bring,' said Trosky, of Robinson Township.
But it will be beneficial to Betty Brickel's company if the heavy traffic remains.
As district manager for Trade Secret salons, Brickel said it's the constant traffic that helps her stylists build and maintain clientele. The constant hustle and bustle of the area is why Brickel chose to plant a salon in the mall.
'Everything people need is right here. It truly is a one-stop shopping place. I wish we had this where I am from,' said Brickel, of Latrobe, Westmoreland County.
Constance Purdy, who lives on four acres outside Raccoon Creek State Park in Beaver County, said the only downside about the mall is that it's not big enough.
'This area needed a viable, huge mall comparable to Beaver Valley and Ross Park malls,' Purdy said. 'If you have the stores stocked, the people will come. But if the stores are measly, the people will still continue to shop at other places,' she said.
Purdy vowed to stop shopping at Beaver Valley once the Robinson mall opens.
'This area is beginning to burst - and it should continue to grow because this is the only place in the west for us to shop,' she added.
Treshea N. Wade can be reached at twade@tribweb.com or (412) 306-4531.
| Tenant update |
Almost 90 retailers will be at the Mall at Robinson. The latest list, alphabetically:
