Empty nest
Shadyside Giant Eagle to close in July to make way for new grocery, apartments
The Shakespeare Street Giant Eagle in Shadyside will close July 23, signaling the start of a longsought redevelopment that includes a new grocery and apartment complex at the site.
In a statement, Giant Eagle confirmed the store will close at 6 p.m. on that Saturday, adding that the company is taking “numerous steps to provide care” for shoppers while a new supermarket is being built.
Those include stops by the Giant Eagle Mobile Market in Larimer and Homewood as well as grocery pick ups at community centers in those two neighborhoods.
Giant Eagle also is moving the store’s pharmacy several blocks away to a temporary location in the Village of Eastside at 6401 Penn Ave.
The closing will clear the way for developer Echo Realty to start demolition, asbestos removal, and other prep work in advance of an anticipated fall construction start related to the much-debated redevelopment of the Shady Hill Center.
Echo is planning a 232-unit apartment complex, a new 36,000square-foot Giant Eagle, and a parking garage with about 430 spaces at the site at Penn and Shady avenues.
Phil Bishop, Echo senior vice president, said the new grocery will be a “little bit smaller” than the current store, But he added that is due largely to back-of-the-house operations that no longer are needed given inventory control strategies.
“It will serve the community just like it does today with a grocery store, deli, bakery, all of those things,” he said.
As part of the redevelopment, the entire plaza — once a mix of retailers and services in addition to the grocery — will be demolished. Right now, the only thing still left besides the grocery is a state liquor store that will be “closing in the coming days,” Mr. Bishop said.
The project itself has been more than two years in the making and has undergone some changes as a result of community pushback.
It appeared to be on life support in January 2021 after the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment rejected a request to build to a height of 84 feet and six stories. The zoning allowed four stories and 60 feet.
Board members also turned down a variance request that would have allowed for no separation between the development site and the residential neighborhood.
The project had come under fire from residents of the neighboring Village of Shadyside who raised concerns about the impacts on traffic and views from their properties in part because of the height and bulk of the six-story structure.
Echo, an affiliate of Giant Eagle, appealed the zoning board decision to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
Mr. Bishop said that was resolved in a consent order last fall that allowed Echo to build to 84 feet in exchange for moving the garage
another 30 plus feet away from the Village of Shadyside properties.
As part of the apartment development, Echo has committed to making 15% of the units affordable — 10% to households at 50% of the area median income and 5% to those at 80% of the area median income.
It also has agreed to establish a $50,000 fund for the purchase of transit passes used by tenants in multifamily units.
The Shady Hill plaza is adjacent to a $52 million transit center that includes an East Busway stop.
Before construction can begin, the project still needs the approval of the city planning commission.
The redevelopment has the support of the UFCW Local 1776 union, which represents workers at the Shakespeare Street Giant Eagle.
President Wendell Young said all of the store employees will be transferred to other nearby stores during the closing and will be able to return once the new Giant Eagle has been completed.
“No one is going to be put out of work as a result of it,” he said.
Mr. Young saw the project as a positive, particularly given the current retail climate where many stores are closing.
“It would be really disappointing if they were closing the store,” he said. “They’re building a new, more modern store that protects everybody’s jobs. It’s good progress.”
While workers were just notified of the closing date this week, the fact that it would be shutting down at some point was no secret, Mr. Young said.
“It’s good to see the company reinvesting in brick and mortar and keeping these stores competitive,” he said. “It’s good for our members. It’s good to have a union contract that protects them in the process.”
For customers, the Giant Eagle Mobile Market — stocked with more than 400 items, including fresh produce, meat and dairy products — has already started making stops at the Kingsley Association in Larimer and the Bethany Center and YWCA in Homewood.
Among the community pick-up points where shoppers can get their online orders are Kelly Hamilton Homes in Homewood and the Environment and Energy Community Outreach Center in Larimer.
The company stated that convenience fees are waived for community pick-up point orders.
In addition to those interim measures, the company also referred shoppers to the Shadyside Market District at 5550 Centre Ave., about a mile from the Shakespeare Street Giant Eagle.