McCandless Square development continues

Planning continues for McCandless Square, an approximately 23-acre mixed-use development featuring senior living, commercial and multi-family residential uses.

McCandless Square has an assemblage of three developers, according to McCandless planning director RJ Susko. The site once was home to Bally’s Fitness and Trader Horn’s, the latter closing about 10 years ago.

The first phase — featuring Ashton Commons, a senior living community developed by Continental LLC — is complete and in use, Susko said.

The other two phases are still in development. The second will feature approximately 20,000 square feet of commercial space built between Blazier Drive and Ashton Commons, according to Susko.

A for-lease sign for the new shopping center can be can be seen near the McKnight Road-Blazier Drive intersection.

“Building construction presumably will begin once they have tenants nailed down,” Susko said.

The second phase is being developed by AdVenture Development LLC of North Carolina. Mark McDonnell, chief executive officer of AdVenture, said while there is advertising for possible tenants, it’s still too early to tell what type of retail or businesses will be in place there.

“We’re still in kind of the exploratory phase. We’re vetting a number of different options so there’s not much to provide in terms of specifics,” McDonnell said.

Kevin Dougherty, AdVenture’s founder and president ,began his real estate career in 1982 in Pittsburgh, according to the company’s website. AdVenture also produced McCandless Crossing, another mixed-use development, located further south off McKnight Road.

For McCandless Square, McDonnell said the company is striving to provide “something that will be complementary to the area, that will work with the townhomes, the senior living here and the (McCandless Park and Ride), that brings value to the overall community.”

The third phase is being handled by Laurel Communities LLC and will feature approximately 50 townhome units. Site work is in progress, with building expected to begin soon, according to Susko.

The homes are not senior-specific units and will be available for purchase as standard townhome residences, she said.

Located near these developments is the Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s McCandless Park Ride, which is now complete. Most recent additions there included a comfort building for bus drivers, along with landscaping improvements and parking space restriping throughout, Susko said.

She said it’s too early to provide a construction timeline for the remaining phases, but the townhomes are in the process of pulling the building permits.

Though not a part of the McCandless Square development, there are not yet any plans for the old cinema building off Blazier Drive, according to Susko.