Meijer eyes Cranberry for superstore, gas station

Midwestern grocery chain Meijer is eyeing Cranberry as it pushes into Western Pennsylvania.

A proposed development would give Meijer a 159,000-square-foot supercenter in the township, according to Ron Henshaw, Cranberry’s director of planning and development services.

The store would offer groceries, apparel, garden supplies, drive-through pharmacy service and curbside pickup, Henshaw said. Meijer also plans to run a gas station and convenience store next to the building.

Meijer announced Tuesday it’s looking to set up shop in Western Pennsylvania. The Michigan-based company is in the middle of an expansion drive in nearby Northeastern Ohio, opening new stores and investing $500 million to bolster its regional competitiveness.

The company did not immediately return a request for comment on the Cranberry development.

The Butler County suburb is popular destination for grocery chains coveting Southwestern Pennsylvania shoppers. Its rising population, flat land and relatively high income are all factors these companies consider when scouting store locations, experts say.

East Coast grocer Wegmans plans to open its first Pittsburgh-area store in Cranberry by the end of 2027. The 115,000-square-foot store will be about a mile west of the proposed Meijer site.

In 2019, Midwestern speciality grocer Fresh Thyme put its third Pittsburgh-area store in the high-growth township.

These plots in Cranberry are all a short drive from the headquarters of Giant Eagle, which has seen its market share slip after decades of dominance.

The Meijer store would be the centerpiece of the 44-acre Henderson Crossing development, between Route 228, Franklin Road and Hillmont Drive.

Along with the gas station, developer Alphabet City Co. envisions three commercial parcels and a residential area featuring eight apartment buildings and a pool, according to Henshaw.

North Catholic High School intends to sell Alphabet City some of its land to make the development possible, Henshaw said.

Neither Alphabet City owner Tony Dolan nor North Catholic High School principal Zeb Jansante immediately returned requests seeking comment.

Henshaw emphasized Henderson Crossing is still in its infancy.

Alphabet City held preliminary discussions Monday with the Cranberry Planning Advisory Commission and has only just submitted its land development application.

The commission is expected to weigh in on the land development plan at its Oct. 27 meeting.

The developer also needs to obtain a conditional use — special permission from local officials to waive certain zoning rules — and hammer out a plan with them to build the project in phases.

Dolan expects to receive final approval and start construction late next year, according to Henshaw.

“They are heading on the right path with their approval process, but of course they need to get through the planning advisory commission and board of supervisors, who hold the ultimate decision here,” Henshaw said.