The Waterfront
An open-air super-regional shopping and mixed-use development on the former Homestead Steel Works site near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Waterfront is a large open-air shopping and mixed-use development extending across Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It occupies land formerly used by U.S. Steel's Homestead Steel Works, a major industrial complex whose closure in 1986 left a substantial brownfield along the Monongahela River. The redevelopment transformed part of that industrial site into a suburban-style commercial district combining retail, restaurants, entertainment, offices, hotels, and residential uses. The development officially opened in 1999, with additional construction continuing into the early 2000s. Its principal retail areas are commonly described as The Waterfront and The Town Center. Together, these areas contain approximately 1.1 million square feet of gross leasable area: about 700,000 square feet in The Waterfront and roughly 400,000 square feet in The Town Center. The tenant mix has included national department stores, warehouse and big-box retailers, specialty shops, grocery stores, restaurants, cinemas, and entertainment venues. Stores and attractions identified with the development include Lowe's, Urban Air Adventure Park, Michaels, Old Navy, New Dimension Comics, Petco, TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, DSW, Marshalls, Giant Eagle, Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dave & Buster's, AMC Theatres, and Costco. Tenant occupancy has changed over time, and individual stores named in historical descriptions are not necessarily current. The Waterfront is positioned as a regional shopping and entertainment destination rather than as a traditional enclosed mall. Much of the complex uses separated retail buildings and extensive surface parking, giving the site a suburban power-center and lifestyle-development character. Restaurants and other commercial uses are concentrated along portions of the riverfront, while offices, hotels, apartments, and service businesses occupy surrounding parcels. The development is connected to the regional road network through the Homestead Grays Bridge, formerly known as the Homestead High-Level Bridge, Pennsylvania Route 837, Amity Street, and Waterfront Drive. Its identity is closely tied to the industrial and labor history preserved on the site. Historic smokestacks remain visible, and the Pump House marks the location where Pinkerton agents landed during the 1892 Homestead Strike, one of the most consequential labor conflicts in American steel history. The site also hosted local events marking the centennial of the Industrial Workers of the World in 2005. The combination of retail redevelopment and surviving industrial landmarks gives The Waterfront a historical dimension uncommon among suburban shopping complexes. The project involved substantial public infrastructure and local-government coordination. Three municipalities, Allegheny County, and a school district approved tax-increment financing associated with approximately $25 million in public support, while most of the development itself was characterized as private investment. Road improvements, including bridge access and an eastern flyover ramp, were built to facilitate entry. The site has also faced criticism over traffic congestion, limited access points, large distances between buildings, sparse pedestrian connections, and its physical separation from the older residential and commercial sections of the surrounding boroughs. Community programming has included mentoring outreach, domestic-violence-awareness activities, and charity walks supporting cancer and polycystic kidney disease research.
History
The Waterfront was developed on a former industrial site along the Monongahela River in the Pittsburgh area. Before its conversion to commercial use, the property was occupied by U.S. Steel's Homestead Steel Works. The plant was an important part of the region's steel economy, but its closure in 1986 left a large tract of industrial land requiring remediation and redevelopment. The later shopping complex therefore represented not only a retail project but also a major post-industrial land-use transition. The property retains visible evidence of its steelmaking past, including industrial smokestacks and the historic Pump House. The Pump House is associated with the 1892 Homestead Strike, when Pinkerton agents approached the steel works by river during the conflict between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the company directed by Henry Clay Frick. The ensuing battle caused numerous deaths and injuries and became a defining episode in the history of American labor and industrial relations. The site also hosted local events in 2005 commemorating the centennial of the Industrial Workers of the World, which had been formed in Homestead in 1905. Planning and infrastructure work preceded the retail opening. Allegheny County constructed access improvements from the Homestead High-Level Bridge, now generally called the Homestead Grays Bridge, and worked with Pennsylvania on an eastern flyover ramp in Munhall. The ramp was built in advance of the final development plans and later became a subject of criticism because its configuration was not considered optimal. A tax-increment-financing package involving three municipalities, Allegheny County, and a school district provided approximately $25 million in public support for infrastructure and redevelopment. The project was otherwise principally characterized as private investment. The Waterfront officially opened in 1999. Development continued into the beginning of the 21st century and produced two principal commercial areas: the approximately 700,000-square-foot Waterfront section and the approximately 400,000-square-foot Town Center. The Town Center contained a conventional mix of mall and department-store tenants, while the eastern portion took on a more typical big-box retail form. Restaurants and other businesses were placed around parts of the river perimeter, alongside apartments, offices, hotels, and a fueling station. The tenant roster changed over time. In 2002, May Co. announced a scaled-down Kaufmann's store for the complex. After Kaufmann's was absorbed into Macy's, the store changed banners in 2006. Macy's later announced that it would close the location in 2018; subsequent plans identified Siemens and Commonwealth Charter Academy as occupants of the former department-store space. Other long-term or historically documented tenants and attractions have included Target, Costco, Giant Eagle, Lowe's, Dick's Sporting Goods, AMC Theatres, Dave & Buster's, specialty retailers, and numerous chain restaurants. The development's suburban layout distinguishes it from nearby urban-redevelopment projects such as SouthSide Works. Its buildings are generally separated by broad parking areas, and the complex has limited pedestrian links between stores. Traffic congestion has been associated with the distance between uses, restricted entry and exit points, and the site's separation from the older parts of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall by active rail lines. Despite these limitations, The Waterfront remains a major regional retail and entertainment destination and continues to connect commercial activity with the historic landscape of the former steel works.
- 2019
Replacement occupants identified
[1]Siemens and Commonwealth Charter Academy were identified as prospective occupants of the former Macy's premises.
- 2018
Macy's closure announced
[1]Macy's announced the closure of its store at The Waterfront.
- 2006
Kaufmann's becomes Macy's
[1]The department store changed to the Macy's nameplate following Kaufmann's integration into Macy's.
- 2005
Industrial Workers of the World centennial events
[1]Local centennial observances included events at the Pump House site.
- 2002
Kaufmann's prototype store announced
[1]May Co. announced a scaled-down Kaufmann's department-store format for the development.
- 1999
The Waterfront officially opens
[1]The open-air shopping development began operations across parts of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall.
- 1993
Regional access infrastructure is constructed
[1]Allegheny County and Pennsylvania advanced bridge and flyover access improvements intended to serve the future redevelopment.
- 1986
Homestead Steel Works closes
[1]U.S. Steel's Homestead Steel Works shut down, creating the industrial brownfield later redeveloped as The Waterfront.
- 1892
Homestead Strike associated with the Pump House site
[1]The Pump House area became associated with the landing of Pinkerton agents during the violent Homestead Strike, an important event in United States labor history.
Products and positioning
A regional open-air shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destination combining suburban retail convenience with the heritage of Pittsburgh's steel industry.
Open-air shopping center · 1999
The Waterfront retail district
The principal retail area provides a broad mix of national chains, specialty stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, and services in freestanding or low-rise commercial buildings. Historically documented tenants have included home-improvement, apparel, grocery, sporting-goods, pet-supply, arts-and-crafts, discount, and warehouse retailers. The layout emphasizes automobile access and surface parking rather than an enclosed pedestrian mall.
Mixed-use retail district · 1999
The Town Center
The Town Center is the development's more traditional shopping-center section, historically associated with department stores, specialty apparel retailers, bookstores, cinemas, restaurants, and other consumer services. It forms part of the larger Waterfront complex and has experienced tenant changes over time, including the replacement of Kaufmann's and later Macy's.
Dining and leisure · 1999
Riverfront dining and entertainment
Restaurants, fast-food locations, cinemas, and entertainment businesses occupy portions of the complex, particularly near the Monongahela River perimeter. Historical descriptions name a range of national restaurant chains and identify cinema and family-entertainment facilities among the development's attractions.
Heritage and community destination
Historic Pump House and industrial landmarks
The preserved Pump House and remaining steel-mill structures provide a historical layer within the retail development. The Pump House is associated with the 1892 Homestead Strike and has also served as a setting for commemorative and community events.
Marketing campaigns
- Youth mentoring outreach
United States
Each May, The Waterfront has hosted The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania and local youth-mentoring organizations in the Town Center to raise awareness of mentoring and connect shoppers with community initiatives.
Outcome. The activity provides a recurring public platform for mentoring organizations and highlights the need for adult mentors.
- Domestic Violence Awareness activities
United States
The development has observed Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October in conjunction with Womansplace.
Outcome. The initiative supports public education and awareness related to domestic violence.
- Health-related charity walks
United States
The Waterfront has hosted walks supporting research into cancer and polycystic kidney disease.
Outcome. These events use the development as a venue for local fundraising and community participation.
Brand decisions
2018
Macy's decides to close its Waterfront storeStrategyBackground
Macy's announced the closure of its store at The Waterfront as part of changes to its department-store footprint.
Action taken
Macy's announced that the location would close.
Aftermath
Siemens and Commonwealth Charter Academy were subsequently identified as prospective tenants for the former department-store space.
2006
Kaufmann's location changes to Macy'sM&ABackground
Kaufmann's became part of Macy's as part of the wider consolidation of the department-store business.
Action taken
The Waterfront store adopted the Macy's nameplate.
Aftermath
The location operated as a relatively small Macy's department store until the closure announced in 2018.
2002
May Co. selects The Waterfront for a Kaufmann's prototypeStrategyBackground
The department-store company sought to introduce a smaller-scale Kaufmann's format within the newly developed shopping complex.
Action taken
May Co. announced plans to build a scaled-down Kaufmann's store at The Waterfront.
Aftermath
The store later changed to the Macy's banner after Kaufmann's was integrated into Macy's and eventually closed after Macy's announced its withdrawal in 2018.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/the-waterfront · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled