Seven Fields district grows
This is one in a series of stories about economic development in Butler County this decade. SEVEN FIELDS — This suburban community that seceded from Cranberry Township in 1984 has grown commercially in the past five years, establishing itself more as a neighborhood than a residential development.An 80,000-square-foot Giant Eagle grocery store opened in June, featuring a gas station, deli and state wine and spirits store, said Thomas Smith, borough manager.The development, the borough's most noticeable in the past five years, faced controversy when it first was proposed."I don't think people expected it. They didn't realize how large it was going to be," said Jack Maurer, who was on the borough council from 2000 to the end of 2005.But he said now people welcome the store."It's a tremendous asset ... I think a lot of people who opposed it now think of it as an asset," Maurer said. "It's a success."He said the development the borough has seen in recent years is "definitely the direction the borough wanted to go in."While commercial development is always done cautiously, he said he expects the borough's commercially zoned areas to be used that way. The Giant Eagle required some exceptions to the zoning ordinance, Maurer said, but in the end it worked out.Smith echoed Maurer's opinion."I think the overall convenience that Giant Eagle has brought to residents has definitely improved the overall quality of life," said Smith.Construction of the store began in fall 2004 on land developed by the Petrarca Co. in Ohio. The store is on Seven Fields Boulevard.The wine and spirits store is Butler County's first in-store retailer of its kind, said Smith.
The state Liquor Control Board opened the 6,157-square-foot One Stop Shop store in June, according to a press release at the time.It carries about 2,275 wines, spirits and accessories, and is the largest store of its kind in Western Pennsylvania, the press release said.On the other side of Route 228, Benchmark Realty Development developed several shops in 2004 and 2005.In that development, customers find a variety of businesses: a bank, ice cream store, spa, coffee bar and restaurant.Jim Blandi Jr., former owner of the LeMont restaurant in Pittsburgh, started the 7,000-square-foot SiBA Restaurant there in 2004. Blandi left the business in the spring of 2005, but it remains a Mediterranean-themed restaurant.The business goal of the restaurant is to be an upscale restaurant with a casual dining atmosphere. When it first opened, the restaurant struggled to find its identity."We started off rocky," said Eric Capozzi, general manager at SiBA. He said now the restaurant is doing well after changing from a more formal dining restaurant to casual dining.The Benchmark development is not the first of its kind. The six-unit Signature Plaza on Castle Creek Drive, off of Route 228, opened in October 2001.The plaza houses several businesses such as a vision center, chiropractor and cleaners.Business people there enjoy the location. "Business is great. Since we've been here we have picked up a lot of new customers," said Amy Lazzo, office coordinator at Family Eyecare North.Smith said the commercial growth has helped Seven Fields."I've hear a lot of compliments about the stores here," he said.Development in Seven Fields is ongoing."We could still see some growth. We've had some (commercial) interest," he said.
