Salem's Market to open grocery store at former Shop ′n Save site in Pittsburgh's Hill District

A new grocery store has been chosen for the former Shop ′n Save site at the Hill District’s Centre Heldman Plaza, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

The URA said it will enter into lease negotiations with Salem’s Market & Grill, a locally owned, family-run grocery store.

This comes after Shop ′n Save in 2019 closed their location in the plaza, much to the dismay of many residents who were left with no grocery store in their neighborhood. The URA bought the complex later that year.

The URA opted for Salem’s Market after a community process coordinated with City Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and the Hill Community Development Corporation. Interested grocery stores submitted applications to be considered for the vacant grocery store site. Residents shared their views and preferences by filling out an online scorecard for each of four finalists.

Salem’s received the highest ratings from the community, the URA said.

“Salem’s has a proven record for providing high quality food and products and supporting our minority communities. We look forward to working with them on this expansion project,” Mayor Bill Peduto said.

Salem’s, a minority-run business, has been in operation for more than 40 years, with their original store located on Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

“Salem’s Market locating to the Hill District is a tremendous win both for Salem’s and the Hill District community,” Lavelle said. “It affords Salem’s the ability to grow and expand, while providing the community with a much-needed grocery store and restaurant. What’s more, given Salem’s well-established customer base, the new grocery store and restaurant will bring considerable foot traffic to Centre Avenue, which will help support efforts underway to build back Centre Avenue as a business corridor.”

The store plans to stock fresh produce, meat and seafood, along with international foods, household items, baby supplies, pharmacy and beauty products, prepared foods and more.

The company will host a career fair to hire 50 to 70 people in the neighborhood. It plans to offer a butcher and chef training program.

Salem’s also has committed to dedicating retail space for products from local vendors, hiring local trade contractors and minority-owned businesses for construction and partnering with local community organizations to develop entrepreneurial programming that helps start, support and grow local businesses.

“The URA purchased the Centre Heldman Plaza to ensure there is a transparent conversation about which grocery store would best fit the needs of the Hill District community,” URA Deputy Executive Director Diamonte Walker said.

The URA — along with Lavelle and other city officials — has worked with the community to attract other tenants to the plaza, including CARES CommuniTEA Cafe, Catapult Minority Business Incubator and G’s Closet.