Tribune-Review
Plaza aims to redefine retail along Route 22
Torn Yerace
April 12, 2004

Opportunity is what Anthony Dolan and his company, Walnut Capital Partners, saw when they studied Murrysville.

Now they are in the process of seizing it with the construction of Walnut Hollow, a 35,000-square-foot restaurant and shopping development along Route 22 at Cline Hollow Road.

"There has been a need for additional retail because there has not been a lot built out there, and we are filling the need for it," Dolan said. "There have certainly been commercial buildings built in the last 20 years, but not a commercial plaza like this. Bill Ferri's plaza (Village Shops) was probably the last one built.

"What you have now out there is a hodgepodge of free-standing buildings, some of which have good access, some of which have poor access."

Larry Larese, Westmoreland County's planning director, said retail development along Murrysville's Route 22 corridor has "kind of limped along." He said an investor has come along occasionally and put money into retail development there, but nothing on a large scale has been built for a while.

Municipal officials "have put a lot of effort into having high-quality residential areas with high standards, and the commercial area has never been quite put to that standard," Larese said.

Dolan said Walnut Hollow, located on a 5.5-acre site, will consist of two separate plazas of the same architectural design. One will measure 15,000 square feet and the other will be 20,000 square feet, divided by an access road off Route 22.

"Originally we were going to build only one plaza and thinking about doing some free-standing restaurants, but there was such a demand for space we though be would be better off making the buildings more cohesive, so we decided to build another plaza," he said.

Dolan is not certain how many stores will be in each plaza and who will occupy the spaces, but he said they will be "community-based retail," not large chains.

One thing he is sure of: Shoppers there will have a choice when it comes to dining. Three restaurants are set to move into Walnut Hollow.

Panera and Quizno's Subs will offer casual dining, while the 4,000-square-foot Atria will provide a more upscale, formal dining experience.

"They bring a tremendous amount to the plaza, and they will invigorate the plaza," Dolan said.

If the letters of intent and leases waiting to be signed come to fruition, he said, the development would be 80 percent filled. He said the actual construction of buildings will begin sometime in June or July, and the targeted opening will be in February or March.

Walnut Hollow may signal a change and the start of a retail trend spurred by the reconstruction of Route 22, now in its second year.

"I hope so," said Don Pepe, Murrysville's municipal administrator. "I hope it would generate quality projects all along that corridor."

He said the new development has a design continuity that Murrysville officials are working toward, as opposed to the "hodgepodge" to which Dolan referred.

"Walnut Capital has been extremely good to work with and they bring a good product to the table," Pepe said. "They've worked with us a great deal to make it a better fit."

Larese said the road reconstruction opens up more opportunities, but Murrysville officials are doing their best to plan for any commercial development boom.

"I think Murrysville wants to ensure that this time around, unlike 40 or 50 years ago, any development that goes in will be high-quality and functional -- and by that I mean more connections of service roads in between developments," he said.

Larese said that will mean fewer curb cuts and new intersections along Route 22, allowing through traffic to flow more smoothly both on the highway and through the developments.

Although developers will have to meet higher standards, Larese said they will be willing to do it because the increasing population, high traffic volume and higher median income in the Murrysville area will make it worthwhile.

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