CRANBERRY TWP — An Indianapolis, Ind.-based specialty electronics and appliance retailer might locate one of its Pittsburgh area stores in the Cranberry Commons mall off Route 228.

Ron Henshaw, Cranberry's director of community development, said Tuesday that hhgregg has filed a building permit in May to alter 31,296 square feet of space at Cranberry Commons formerly occupied by Linens 'N Things.

The application lists 30 new employees with $550,000 estimated cost of the renovation work.

Officials with hhgregg did not return several calls seeking comment.

The company is expected to challenge regional electronics store Best Buy, which has 10 stores in the Pittsburgh area including one in the Cranberry Square mall off Route 19.

Hhgregg is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home appliances, mattresses and related services.

It has 157 stores in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The retailer has been in major expansion mode over the past year opening stores in the Philadelphia, Delaware and New Jersey areas along with expansions into central Pennsylvania.

The company is expanding in areas that have lost major electronics chain stores such as Comp USA and Circuit City.

According to recent company investor's report, hhgregg's net sales have increased during the 12 months from March 1, 2009, to March 31, nearly 10 percent to $1.5 billion.

The company is projected to open 40 to 45 stores by 2011 and expects sales to increase 40 percent to 45 percent over that period.