Planning commission releases major development plans in Cranberry, Jackson townships
The first Wegmans food market in Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to open in early 2027 in Cranberry Township.
The county planning commission, on Wednesday, voted to release a land development plan for a Wegmans on Cool Springs Drive.
The plan will be released to the township’s planning advisory committee, which will review it before making a recommendation to the township supervisors.
“This is a 115,000 square foot grocery store,” Ron Henshaw, a commission member and the township’s planning and development services director, said at Wednesday’s commission meeting.
Store plans include a restaurant that Henshaw believes will draw customers from the nearby UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and hotels.
Half the store will have meats and produce and the other half will have groceries. An area outside of the store will be dedicated to electronic commerce.
The township and developer worked hard to make access safe for pedestrians by adding crosswalks and motion activated pedestrian sensors, he said.
“I hope you can tell,” Henshaw said. “We’ve been working hard on this. Public safety folks, public works — everyone’s had their hand in this trying to make sure we touch all bases here to try to get it right the first time.”
Once the township’s review process is completed in three to four months, the developer will have to obtain any necessary approvals from outside agencies, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Butler County Conservation District. Then the developer can obtain a township grading permit and a developer’s agreement to begin construction, he said.
Wegmans’ is planning to open the store in the first quarter of 2027, Henshaw said.
Wegmans, based in Rochester, N.Y., has over 100 stores in the United States. The nearest existing Wegmans is in Erie.
In addition, the commission released the final plan for the second phase of the Crescent residential development. The plan includes 58 single family homes and 68 townhomes, also on Cool Springs Drive. Phase one is under construction.
A subdivision and land development plan for Amish Yard, which sells Amish-crafted high-density, polyethylene plastic furniture, sheds and outdoor play sets, was released by the commission.
The 2,550 square foot store is planned for a lot adjacent to Sheetz on Old Freedom Road.
“People are going to eat this up,” Crenshaw said.
To the north, in Jackson Township, the 269 lot Emerald Valley single family home subdivision off Route 288 was released by the commission.
The first phase of the planned residential development containing 56 houses was discussed by the commission. The development is just east of the Zelienople Municipal Airport near the Beaver County border.
Mark Gordon, county economic development and planning chief, said single family home development is booming, especially in the county’s southern tier.
In the next three months, occupancy permits for 2,750 houses, mostly in the south, are expected to be issued.
“That’s huge,” Gordon said.
