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Upper Saint Clair Commission Approve South Hills Village Redevelopment Plans

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Upper Saint Clair commissioners voted to allow modifications to the township code, paving the way for South Hills Village redevelopment plans to move forward according to The Almanac.

Part of the redevelopment required two requests for modification, both were related to plans for a Life Time Athletic facility.

Upper St. Clair requires a 100-foot setback between principle structures and the property line. The applicant requested a 66-foot setback to provide parking.

The second request was to waive the requirement of three dedicated loading berths for a 120,000 square-foot building. Other than the delivery of athletic equipment prior to opening, the applicant said the business would not need a loading dock because deliveries would come through the main entrance or pool deck.

Upper St. Clair's director of planning and community development, Adam Benigni told that Almanac that after reviewing the plans during the March 4 meeting, the township staff recommended approval of the modifications.

Benigni added the modified setback requirement is no detriment to public use and because the facility will not receive large deliveries, staff recommended also waiving the loading dock requirements, but only if the use of the structure remains as an athletic facility. If the use changes in the future, the requirement for loading docks may be required again.

Commissioner Robert Orchowski vioced concern to the Almanac about the lack of loading docks causing traffic delays with trucks holding up the flow of traffic. Representatives from Simon Malls said the majority of deliveries would be food or chemicals for the pool.

Plans for the mall focus on three areas: the former Sears Automotive building, Sears, and the food court.

The area of the Sears Automotive building will become the home of Life Time Athletic, a luxury athletic resort with a 120,000 square-foot building and almost 40,000 square-foot pool deck.

The former Sears store will have a portion of the lower level filled in, with the remainder of that level housing stores that would access the lower level of the mall. On the upper level of Sears would be a bump out area and outward facing retail shops on the exterior of the building.

On the opposite side of the mall, plans call for part of the food court to come off to allow for additional parking closer to the mall entrance, along with outer facing retail shops.

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