Robinson Town Centre

Robinson Town Centre is a large open-air power center and retail district in Robinson Township, Pennsylvania, near The Mall at Robinson. Located along Interstate 376, historically known as the Parkway West, and Route 60, the development is approximately 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh by road and forms part of the principal shopping area serving the Pittsburgh Airport Area and western suburbs of Allegheny County. The project was announced on June 28, 1987, and completed in 1988. Its development helped establish Robinson Township and the surrounding western hills as a major suburban retail corridor. The center was developed alongside, and is closely associated with, The Mall at Robinson; both properties were identified in reference material as being owned by Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland, Ohio. Other nearby or related developments include The Pointe at North Fayette, Robinson Crossroads, Robinson Court, and Settlers Ridge. The original tenant mix combined department stores, discount retail, specialty stores, restaurants, household goods, and service-oriented businesses. Early occupants included a Hills department store, Children's Palace, Dahlkemper's catalog showroom, Sears Appliances, Phar-Mor, Pappan's Family Restaurant, Sun TV, Joann Fabrics, and OfficeMax. Marshalls and TJ Maxx were identified as original tenants that continued operating at the center. The development also contributed to the area's retail significance by making possible the arrival of an IKEA store within a six-hour driving distance, expanding the region's furniture and home-furnishings offer. Later and current tenant references include Ichiban Hibachi, HomeGoods, Kirkland's, and Famous Footwear. As a power center rather than a traditional enclosed mall, Robinson Town Centre is characterized by a collection of separate retail buildings, large-format stores, parking, and automobile-oriented access. Its brand is therefore primarily place-based: it represents a shopping destination and commercial district rather than a packaged-goods or consumer-product brand. The center also became associated with a serious 2000 criminal incident. On April 28, 2000, Richard Baumhammers attacked a Chinese restaurant at the center during a racially motivated shooting spree in the Pittsburgh area. Two Asian-American restaurant workers were killed at the Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine location, and the wider spree resulted in five deaths and one person being paralyzed. This event is part of the site's documented history but is unrelated to the center's retail positioning or operations.

The land associated with Robinson Town Centre was linked to an earlier development effort in the fall of 1960, when Acme stores purchased 100 acres from the Scott family farm. The site was later incorporated into the commercial expansion of Robinson Township, a western suburb of Pittsburgh positioned near major transportation routes to downtown Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport. Robinson Town Centre was announced on June 28, 1987, and completed in 1988. Its opening formed part of a wider transformation of the western hills of Allegheny County from primarily low-density suburban and rural land into a significant retail and commercial corridor. The center's location near Interstate 376, the Parkway West, and Route 60 provided access from Pittsburgh, the airport region, and surrounding communities. It was developed near The Mall at Robinson, creating a larger destination that combined open-air power-center retail with enclosed-mall shopping. The original tenant roster reflected the retail patterns of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It included a Hills department store, Children's Palace, Dahlkemper's catalog showroom, Sears Appliances, Phar-Mor, Pappan's Family Restaurant, Sun TV, Joann Fabrics, and OfficeMax, along with smaller stores. The center's offer crossed several categories, including general merchandise, appliances, toys, pharmacy and discount retail, office products, crafts, electronics, food, and apparel. Marshalls and TJ Maxx were noted as original tenants that remained at the center. The development also supported the growth of the broader Robinson commercial district. Reference material identifies related developments including The Pointe at North Fayette, Robinson Crossroads, Robinson Court, and Settlers Ridge. Robinson Town Centre's regional importance was further associated with the arrival of an IKEA store, described as the first IKEA within a six-hour distance of the area. This helped reinforce the district's role as a destination for furniture and home-related shopping, in addition to everyday retail. The ownership of Robinson Town Centre and The Mall at Robinson was identified in the reference material as Forest City Enterprises, a Cleveland-based real-estate company. The center's operating identity has remained that of a multi-tenant open-air power center rather than a single-store retailer. Later tenant references include Ichiban Hibachi, HomeGoods, Kirkland's, and Famous Footwear, illustrating the continuing mix of dining, home goods, specialty merchandise, and footwear. A major non-commercial event occurred on April 28, 2000, when Richard Baumhammers attacked Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine at the center as part of a racially motivated shooting spree in the Pittsburgh area. Two Asian-American restaurant workers were killed at the Robinson Town Centre location; the overall spree killed five people and left one person paralyzed. The incident is a documented part of the site's history, although it did not represent a business decision or change in the center's retail strategy. Robinson Town Centre remains a recognizable component of the Pittsburgh Airport Area's retail geography. Its significance lies in its role as an accessible suburban shopping district, its contribution to Robinson Township's commercial development, and its integration with nearby retail properties rather than in a standalone product line or proprietary consumer brand.

• 2000

  Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine shooting

  [1]Robinson Town Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Two restaurant workers were killed at the center during Richard Baumhammers's racially motivated shooting spree.

• 1988

  Shopping center completed

  [1]Robinson Town Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The open-air power center was completed and opened with a broad group of department, discount, specialty, restaurant, and service tenants.

• 1987

  Development announced

  [1]Robinson Town Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Robinson Town Centre was announced on June 28, 1987, as a major new retail project in Robinson Township.

• 1960

  Acme stores acquire the original site acreage

  [1]Robinson Town Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Acme stores purchased 100 acres from the Scott family farm in the fall of 1960 for the site's original development effort.

A major automobile-accessible suburban retail destination serving Robinson Township, Pittsburgh's western suburbs, and the Airport Area. Its positioning is based on convenience, a broad large-format tenant mix, and proximity to complementary retail developments including The Mall at Robinson.

• Shopping-center format · 1988

  Open-air power-center retail

  Robinson Town Centre's core offering is a collection of separate, automobile-accessible retail buildings rather than a single enclosed mall. The format accommodates large tenants, specialty stores, restaurants, and service businesses, with the center functioning as part of the broader Robinson Township retail district.

• Home goods

  Home and furnishings retail

  The center has supported home-related shopping through tenants and retail activity connected with furniture, home goods, appliances, and household merchandise. The area's association with IKEA further strengthened Robinson's role as a regional destination for home furnishings.

• Apparel and specialty retail · 1988

  Apparel, footwear, and specialty retail

  Apparel and specialty merchandise have been part of the center's tenant mix since its early years. Reference material identifies Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Famous Footwear among the associated retail offerings, covering off-price clothing, accessories, and footwear.

• Food service · 1988

  Dining and restaurant services

  Restaurants have been included in the center since its opening, when Pappan's Family Restaurant was among the early tenants. Later references include Ichiban Hibachi, demonstrating the center's continued role as a mixed retail and dining destination.

• 2000

  Racially motivated shooting at Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine

  On April 28, 2000, Richard Baumhammers killed two Asian-American restaurant workers at Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine in Robinson Town Centre during a wider racially motivated shooting spree. The broader attack killed five people and left one person paralyzed.

  Source

Read more

1. 1Robinson Town Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Robinson Town Centre official websiterobinsontowncentre.com