Crews placed the last beam of the Pittsburgh Mills mall's core structure Tuesday afternoon, making a benchmark in the construction process, said Mills spokesman Larry Costello.
The 200-acre shopping and entertainment complex along the Route 28 expressway in Frazer is on schedule to open next July.
Following in the construction industry's tradition, an American flag and a small evergreen tree adorned the top of the beam. Workers signed their names to the beam and gathered to watch its placement as some crew members continued working in the background.
The evergreen tree is a custom brought to the United States by European immigrants to symbolize growth and to honor the forests from which buildings were built.
"The roof is 90 percent done on the core," Costello said. "We got about 85 percent of the concrete slab poured."
As work continues on the interior of the main structure, two of the mall's anchors, a 165,000-square-foot Kaufmann's and a 98,000-square-foot JC Penney are under construction. Cinemark, 16-screen, stadium-seating movie theater, is poised to start building any day now, Costello said.
Crews started on Monday night paving the road that will encircle the main mall building. They also will work on extending the roads and utility lines to the 134-acre out-parcel section just south of the main structure, Costello said.
"We hope to have most of paving and utility extension done by the end of the year," Costello said.
Negotiations with other retailers are going on now. Costello said he hopes a few more companies will be announced within the next two months.
The mall is divided into two sections. The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills is the mall proper with more than 1 million square feet of gross leasable area, according to Mills. It will include Kaufmann's, JC Penney, Linens N' Things, Cinemark, Dick's Sporting Goods, Lucky Strike Lanes, a NASCAR Speedpark, children's play areas and an entertainment and sports wing.
The Village at Pittsburgh Mills will be a collection of primarily "large box, full-price and value anchors," according to Mills. Additional Information:
Route 28 to shut down briefly
Drivers on Route 28 should expect intermittent lane closures where PennDOT is constructing the new interchange between the Cheswick and Creighton exits that will lead to the mall, according to PennDOT project manager Brad Miller.Workers started removing the temporary bridge this week. Crews will be working primarily at night, Miller said.
The tentative closure schedule is:
