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Work on Whole Foods is finally moving forward after legal challenge

By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read
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Construction of the 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods store on Route 19 on the site of former Consol Energy headquarters is finally moving forward, but no opening date has been formally announced.

The store is part of Siena at St. Clair, an upscale retail and residential development that is being constructed on the 28-acre site that sits across the road from South Hills Village. When opened, the Upper St. Clair store will be the third location for the Austin, Texas-based organic grocer in the Pittsburgh area. There is currently a Whole Foods in the North Hills and one in East Liberty.

“We have not announced a target opening date for the store at this time,” said Katie Malloy, a Whole Foods spokesperson.

Matthew Serakowski, Upper St. Clair manager, said work on the store is continuing and grading has been done on the portion of the site where the retail and residential components are planned. Previously announced plans call for upscale retail and restaurants and the construction of 33 residential units.

“No building permits (for the residential and retail portion of the project) have been applied for,” Serakowski said.

Building permits filed with the township show the Whole Foods portion of the project is valued at $8.85 million. Township officials have said they expect the store to open sometime in 2016.

South Hills attorney Gerard Cipriani, a principal of 1800 Washington Road Associates, deferred comment. Herky Pollock of CBRE, a Downtown Pittsburgh commercial real estate brokerage, who is the leasing agent for Siena, did not return requests for comment.

Construction of the grocery store had been delayed by legal challenges by Giant Eagle, which has a Market District store in Bethel Park, and others over concerns about traffic congestion. Those issues have since been resolved.

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