Construction to begin on shopping, office complex at Cranberry site
By JUDITH O. ETZEL

9/23/03

Special Thanks to The Derrick for Allowing this story to be posted

Photo By Jerry Sowden - Tim Keller of Babcock Excavating of Pittsburgh surveys the progress Monday on the lot between McDonald's and the Kimberly Plaza strip mall along Route 322 across from Wal-Mart. Construction is under way on a Bob Evans Restaurant that will be built on the site.

Construction of a $1.5 million shopping and office mall near the Wal-Mart and Cranberry Mall commercial corner in Cranberry Township will begin next month.

In addition, the same developer is considering the construction of two condominium complexes in that general vicinity. The project is in the early planning stages.

"Our mall is definitely on, and we are planning to start the work within the next 30 to 45 days, definitely before the end of October," said Jim Aiello, a partner in the Pittsburgh-based JRA Development firm.

Although the mall design had been approved by the Venango County Planning Commission in April, the project had been "on again, off again" for a while, said Aiello. That has been resolved and construction will begin shortly.

JRA Development has hired C.D. Smith, the same Wisconsin construction company that built the Wal-Mart and Staples stores, to build the 24,000-square-foot mini-mall and two separate smaller buildings. They will be located on vacant land between Busy Beaver and McDonald's along Route 322.

The plans for what JRA has named Cranberry Plaza II call for three separate structures: a drive-through coffee business, an ice cream shop and a 25,000-square-foot office and retail building. The latter building would be similar in style and size to the nearby Kimberly Strip Mall, another JRA Development project.

"The drive-through coffee shop is a local woman's project, and the ice cream shop is a Rita's Italian Ice business out of New Jersey," Aiello said.

The main building will house an Oriental restaurant, one that the developer said will offer a "gourmet buffet," and at least three retail shops. The company is negotiating leases for a women's clothing shop, a shoe store and a greeting card shop.

The regional Social Security Administration office, now located on Seneca Street in Oil City, is interested in the single largest tenant space in the strip mall.

"We are planning to try and put that office there," Aiello said.

The office and retail mall, plus the two smaller buildings, could be open for business as early as May or June, said Aiello. The new mall should offer more than 75 full-time jobs, he noted.

Meanwhile, JRA Development is also considering whether to build two townhouse complexes in the commercial strip along Route 322. The company owns two large vacant lots in the Wal-Mart plaza area.

"We are in the planning process for those, one beside the Staples store and the other behind Busy Beaver. It would be two separate units, but we're not sure yet how many units," said Aiello, adding a decision as to whether the company should take on the project will not be made for some time.

JRA Development began working in Venango County in 1998 when it purchased a 75-acre farm along Route 322 across from Cranberry Mall. The company completed property deals with Wal-Mart, Staples, Busy Beaver and other smaller business on that former farmland.

In another business development, Home Depot is sorting out sewage and water issues involving property it is considering in the township. The national chain is interested in building a new store either on vacant land adjacent to Staples or renovating the former Ames Department store space in the mall.

The land deal involves extending municipal sewage and water service to the former farm property.

Construction is under way, meanwhile, for a 155-seat Bob Evans Restaurant on a 1.5-acre tract just off Route 322 near the Kimberly Plaza and McDonald's. The construction cost is pegged at $560,000. It may open for business as soon as December.

The commercial building spree in Cranberry Township is spurred, in part, by the sprawling UPMC Northwest hospital project. The new $65 million hospital, located off Route 257, should be fully enclosed by mid-October while the roof work on a new $3.5 million behavioral health building next door is scheduled to begin this week.

Both buildings will be open for business in the fall of 2004.

Extensive renovation work is under way at Seneca Place, the former Quaker State Innovation Center on Route 257. The property will house various non-medical UPMC Northwest departments.