New York-based grocery chain Wegmans announced it will be opening a new store in Cranberry Township near the UPMC Lemieux Sport Complex. Submitted photo

CRANBERRY TWP — A popular grocery store chain is one step closer to planting new roots in Western Pennsylvania.

Wegmans cleared the final hurdle it needed to start construction by receiving final land development and conditional use approval following a public hearing at a supervisor’s meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28.

The proposed supermarket will be a one-story, 115,000-square-foot community shopping center on 13 acres at 5000 Cool Springs Drive within the Cranberry Springs development. It will be the chain’s first venture into the Greater Pittsburgh Region.

While officials said they are planning for a 2027 opening, an exact date has yet to be disclosed.

Whenever that is, consumers should expect three entrances heading into a parking lot with 701 spots. A sizable clock tower and bronze and yellow arches at every entrance will adorn the front of the building, which will be in close proximity to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Meanwhile, the interior will resemble a European style market, complete with decorative columns and marked individual sections.

The Rochester N.Y, based supermarket, well known for its seafood, meat, bakery, deli and cheese options, has been a sought-after addition for local shoppers. Wegmans acknowledged that interest when first announcing the move to Cranberry in a January news release.

“We’ve received thousands of requests for a Wegmans in the Pittsburgh region since opening our first Pennsylvania store over 30 years ago,” said Dan Aken, vice president of real estate and store planning. “We’re excited to have finally found the right location to bring Wegmans to the Pittsburgh area.”

Township officials have previously highlighted the appeal of attracting major regional retailers to Cool Springs Drive, an area well positioned for commercial growth.

“It certainly is representative of the type of community that Cranberry has become over the years,” township manager Dan Santoro said of Wegmans’ decision. “We’re excited that they’ve chosen Cranberry as their first location in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area.”

In addition to giving shoppers another option alongside chains like Giant Eagle and Walmart, Wegmans expects to create 400 to 500 jobs, the majority of which will be filled by local residents.

“It’s going to provide lots of opportunity for folks that not only just live in Cranberry, but in the surrounding region as well,” Santoro said. “(It’s) a lot of great, high-paying jobs.”

Wegmans currently operates 114 stores across nine states, including 19 in Pennsylvania. Currently, the closest stores to Butler County are in Erie and State College.

In other business, supervisors canceled their regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4.