Buchanan Team Concludes Year-Long Effort to Bring First Grocery Store to Pittsburgh's Hill District in More Than 30 Years

Pittsburgh, PA, October 11, 2013 - A team lead by Robert L. Burns and Donald E. Malecki, and including Robert V. Glentzer and Marcy E. Hamilton, assisted the Hill House Association and its affiliates, Hill House Economic Development Corporation and Centre Heldman Plaza, LLC, in the development of Centre Heldman Plaza, which will bring the first full-service grocery store to Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood in more than 30 years.

The Shop 'n Save supermarket, scheduled to open on October 17, 2013, will have a direct, positive impact on residents of the Hill District, which until now has been considered a "food desert" due to lack of access to affordable, healthy food and produce. The lack of a full-service grocery store has been considered a hindrance to the growth and economic development of the Hill District as well as a community health issue.

For nearly a year, the Buchanan team worked to help the Hill House Association finalize and obtain more than 20 private and public grants and commercial loans, including New Markets Tax Credits, to finance the construction, negotiate the construction and store supply contracts, as well as negotiate leases for the supermarket and the 6,800 square feet of additional retail space in Centre Heldman Plaza, which will be LEED certified. Crazy Mocha Coffee, Subway and Cricket Communications are among the Plaza's other tenants.

The Plaza is expected to springboard additional development in the disadvantaged community, which inspired August Wilson’s ten play “Pittsburgh Cycle” set in the Hill District (including the Pulitzer Prize winning and Tony Award winning “Fences”). It is also expected to help drive a resurgence of business and employment opportunities for its residents. ###