Giant Eagle Mulling Downtown Pittsburgh Site: Report

Giant Eagle is considering adding its first store location in downtown Pittsburgh. The regional retailer is said to be in discussions with officials from both the city and Allegheny County about opening the new store and has been scouting potential locations, among which include the proposed Saks redevelopment project on Smithfield Street and PPG Place in Market Square, as well as others.

Yarone Zober, the mayor’s chief of staff and chairman of Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority board, was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as saying, "I know they're looking at everything Downtown.”

The news of Giant Eagle’s interest in opening its first downtown Pittsburgh store follows on the heels of news that local developer Ralph Falbo will open a grocery in spring 2014 in the Thompson Building at 435 Market St. in Market Square.

According to the Post-Gazette story, “Local officials have been trying for years to interest Giant Eagle, the region's dominant grocery chain, in opening a store in or near downtown, particularly with the increase in the residential population in recent years. They tried without success to convince Giant Eagle to build a grocery in the Hill District, where a Shop 'n Save will open in mid-October.”

"Giant Eagle would be a great addition to downtown's vibrant retail market. With a growing residential base, we think there's a definite need for a full-service grocery store and a market for the same. We look forward to continuing to work with Giant Eagle on finding a home Downtown," the local daily newspaper quoted Zober as saying.