Several construction projects underway in O'Hara business district

Construction continues at the Chase Bank along Fox Chapel Road in O’Hara, with company officials saying the branch is on track to open later this year.

It is one of several businesses under construction in the township’s retail corridor. Also underway are a Chick-fil-A in Fox Chapel Plaza and an unnamed restaurant/bakery in RIDC Park.

The Chase Bank site is beside a BP gas station at the foot of the Route 28 on/off-ramps and an entrance to Fox Chapel Plaza.

The 3,000-square-foot building at 50 Fox Chapel Road will be a full-service site, said Ashlei Bobo, vice president of regional communications for Chase. It will be equipped with ATMs that are able to perform 75 percent of routine transactions, along with a 24-hour vestibule.

Work is on track despite slight setbacks earlier this year when Gov. Tom Wolf halted construction amid coronavirus concerns.

As crews continue construction in O’Hara, a Chase branch in McCandless along Duncan Avenue opened for business, Bobo said. The two sites are among 10 branches set to open in the second half of 2020 in the Pittsburgh region.

“We have hired our 100^th employee in the Pittsburgh area, which is two-thirds of the 150 employees we committed to hiring last year,” she said.

Julie Jakubec, O’Hara manager, said council is pleased to welcome the branch to the area. “They are a wonderful addition to our business community,” she said.

Meantime, at the opposite end of Fox Chapel Plaza, a Chick-Fil-A is under construction.

The fast food restaurant will operate where a Rita’s Ice once stood. Jakubec said it is expected to open late this year.

The old Max & Erma’s restaurant in RIDC Park is also under renovation. Jakubec said it will open as a restaurant/bakery later this year.