The Waterfront
Encyclopedia
The Waterfront is a super-regional open air shopping mall
spanning the three boroughs of Homestead
, West Homestead
and Munhall
near Pittsburgh. The shopping mall sits on land once occupied by U.S. Steel
's Homestead Steel Works
plant, which closed in 1987. It has a gross leasable area
of 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) in "The Waterfront" and 400000 square feet (37,161.2 m²) in "The Town Center." The development officially opened in 1999. More development continued into the early 21st century.
The Waterfront is accessible from the Parkway East via the Homestead High-Level Bridge, now known as the Homestead Grays Bridge
. Pennsylvania Route 837
, which runs through the town of Homestead also connects drivers to The Waterfront via Amity Street and Waterfront Drive.
In 2005, Industrial Workers of the World
celebrated their 100th Anniversary, having formed in 1905 out of the palpable labor struggles of that era. The local celebration included events held at the Pump House on the site of The Waterfront.
http://www.iww.org/en/taxonomy/term/244/all?page=2
The Pump House is the location of the landing of the Pinkertons who navigated the river in 1892 with the intention of busting up a labor strike of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers at the instruction of Henry Clay Frick. The battle that followed, known as the Homestead Strike / Battle of Homestead, left seven people dead and set back the cause of organizing the iron and steel industry in Pittsburgh for decades. The Battle of Homestead is one of the most noted strikes in American Labor History.
located a few miles up the river, was developed in a more suburban fashion, with retail, residential, and office spaces all being separated from each other by vast parking lots. Traffic congestion within the development is common due to the large distances between outlets and the lack of sidewalks and pathways; the limited entrances into and out of The Waterfront also add to the congestion. The complex is separated from the original sections of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall, via railroad tracks and does not physically or visually connect with the older sections of the municipalities. The Town Center area of the development is home to stores one would find in most malls
, including American Eagle Outfitters
, Gap
, and Victoria's Secret
. Macy's
(formerly Kaufmann's), Barnes & Noble
, and a Loews Cineplex
are located in this area as well. The eastern end of the development resembles more of a traditional suburban strip mall
, with many big-box retail stores fronting a large parking lot. Stores here include Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Dick's Sporting Goods
, Giant Eagle
grocery, Lowe's
, and Target
. Around the perimeter of the complex, particularly along the Monongahela River
, are most of the development's restaurants, almost all of which are typical chain restaurants like Red Robin
, T.G.I. Friday's
, and P. F. Chang's China Bistro
, as well as several fast food locations. An apartment complex, a few office buildings, fueling station, and a hotel are also located along the river perimeter.
parent company, May Co., announced it would construct a scaled down version of its department store at The Waterfront. It was the first of its kind in the now-defunct department store company. On Sept. 9, 2006, Kaufmann's became part of the Macy's
company.
The store remains open but has been replaced with the Macy's nameplate. It remains one of the smaller Macy's department stores in the chain.
and many local youth mentoring
agencies to the Town Center to talk to shoppers about the importance of mentoring
and the number of local children waiting for mentors. In October, The Waterfront recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness month in conjunction with Womansplace. Additionally, they host walks to support research for cancer and polycystic kidney disease
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
spanning the three boroughs of Homestead
Homestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the "Mon Valley," southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United...
, West Homestead
West Homestead, Pennsylvania
West Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, on the Monongahela River. Heavy industries associated with nearby steel mills existed here. Established were axle works, brickworks, and manufactories of machinery, car wheels, etc. In 1910, 3,009 people lived...
and Munhall
Munhall, Pennsylvania
Munhall is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Monongahela River, south of the confluence of the Monongahela and the Allegheny rivers where the Ohio River begins. It abuts the borough of Homestead. A large part of the Homestead Works of the Carnegie Steel Company...
near Pittsburgh. The shopping mall sits on land once occupied by U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
's Homestead Steel Works
Homestead Steel Works
Homestead Steel Works was a large steel works located on the Monongahela River at Homestead, Pennsylvania in the United States. It developed in the nineteenth century as an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a railway long, and a line of lake steamships...
plant, which closed in 1987. It has a gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) in "The Waterfront" and 400000 square feet (37,161.2 m²) in "The Town Center." The development officially opened in 1999. More development continued into the early 21st century.
The Waterfront is accessible from the Parkway East via the Homestead High-Level Bridge, now known as the Homestead Grays Bridge
Homestead Grays Bridge
The Homestead Grays Bridge, also known as the High Level Bridge, was built in 1936 and spans the Monongahela River between Homestead Borough and the southernmost tip of Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. It is notable as the first bridge to utilize the Wichert Truss, which uses a...
. Pennsylvania Route 837
Pennsylvania Route 837
Pennsylvania Route 837 is a state route located in western Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 88 in the Carroll Township hamlet of Wickerham Manor. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 19 and Pennsylvania Route 51 in downtown Pittsburgh at the junction of...
, which runs through the town of Homestead also connects drivers to The Waterfront via Amity Street and Waterfront Drive.
History
From its storied past, only smokestacks remain on the site that once helped to give Pittsburgh the name "Steel City."In 2005, Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
celebrated their 100th Anniversary, having formed in 1905 out of the palpable labor struggles of that era. The local celebration included events held at the Pump House on the site of The Waterfront.
http://www.iww.org/en/taxonomy/term/244/all?page=2
The Pump House is the location of the landing of the Pinkertons who navigated the river in 1892 with the intention of busting up a labor strike of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers at the instruction of Henry Clay Frick. The battle that followed, known as the Homestead Strike / Battle of Homestead, left seven people dead and set back the cause of organizing the iron and steel industry in Pittsburgh for decades. The Battle of Homestead is one of the most noted strikes in American Labor History.
Layout & Features
The Waterfront, unlike the SouthSide WorksSouthside Works
SouthSide Works is an open-air retail, office, entertainment, and residential complex located on the South Side of the city of Pittsburgh and just across the Monongahela River from the Pittsburgh Technology Center and the University of Pittsburgh...
located a few miles up the river, was developed in a more suburban fashion, with retail, residential, and office spaces all being separated from each other by vast parking lots. Traffic congestion within the development is common due to the large distances between outlets and the lack of sidewalks and pathways; the limited entrances into and out of The Waterfront also add to the congestion. The complex is separated from the original sections of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall, via railroad tracks and does not physically or visually connect with the older sections of the municipalities. The Town Center area of the development is home to stores one would find in most malls
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, including American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
, Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, and Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
. Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(formerly Kaufmann's), Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, and a Loews Cineplex
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
are located in this area as well. The eastern end of the development resembles more of a traditional suburban strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
, with many big-box retail stores fronting a large parking lot. Stores here include Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
, Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle, Inc., is a supermarket chain with stores in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Supermarket News ranked Giant Eagle No. 21 in the 2009 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2008...
grocery, Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
. Around the perimeter of the complex, particularly along the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, are most of the development's restaurants, almost all of which are typical chain restaurants like Red Robin
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is a chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.-History:...
, T.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF...
, and P. F. Chang's China Bistro
P. F. Chang's China Bistro
'P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is an American restaurant chain with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang. The restaurants serve American Chinese cuisine from a menu originally conceived and planned by chef...
, as well as several fast food locations. An apartment complex, a few office buildings, fueling station, and a hotel are also located along the river perimeter.
Kaufmann's prototype
In 2002, Kaufmann'sKaufmann's
Kaufmann's was a department store that originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was owned in the early 20th century by Edgar J. Kaufmann, patron of 'Fallingwater' and the Kaufmann's Desert House. In the post-war years the store became a regional chain in the eastern United States, and was last...
parent company, May Co., announced it would construct a scaled down version of its department store at The Waterfront. It was the first of its kind in the now-defunct department store company. On Sept. 9, 2006, Kaufmann's became part of the Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
company.
The store remains open but has been replaced with the Macy's nameplate. It remains one of the smaller Macy's department stores in the chain.
Community involvement
Every May The Waterfront welcomes The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PennsylvaniaThe Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania
The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania is a non-profit organization located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that provides a variety of free services to local mentoring agencies and is the chief public advocate for mentoring in the region...
and many local youth mentoring
Youth mentoring
Youth mentoring is the process of matching mentors with young people who need or want a caring, responsible adult in their lives. Adult mentors are usually unrelated to the child or teen and work as volunteers through a community-, school-, or church-based social service program.Although informal...
agencies to the Town Center to talk to shoppers about the importance of mentoring
Mentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
and the number of local children waiting for mentors. In October, The Waterfront recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness month in conjunction with Womansplace. Additionally, they host walks to support research for cancer and polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is an inherited systemic disorder that predominantly affects the kidneys, but may affect other organs including the liver, pancreas, brain, and arterial blood vessels...
.
Anchor stores
- Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
- Best BuyBest BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
- Costco Wholesale
- Dave & Busters
- DSW
- Dick's Sporting GoodsDick's Sporting GoodsDick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
- Giant EagleGiant EagleGiant Eagle, Inc., is a supermarket chain with stores in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Supermarket News ranked Giant Eagle No. 21 in the 2009 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2008...
- GapGap (clothing retailer)The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
- AMC TheatresAMC TheatresAMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
- Lowe'sLowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
- Marshall's
- MichaelsMichaelsMichaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
- Office DepotOffice DepotOffice Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
- Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
- PetcoPETCOPETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
- TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
- TJ Maxx