Waterworks Shopping Plaza

Waterworks Shopping Plaza, also commonly called Waterworks Mall, is an outdoor super-regional shopping center located on Freeport Road within the city limits of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The center opened in 1982 and serves the surrounding communities of Allegheny County through a combination of large-format retailers, specialty stores, restaurants, services, and entertainment. Its reported gross leasable area is approximately 914,638 square feet, or about 84,973 square meters, making it a substantial retail destination in the Pittsburgh area. The property is managed by J.J. Gumberg Co., a Pittsburgh-based real-estate company. Rather than operating as a single-product consumer brand, Waterworks functions as a multi-tenant retail and dining destination whose identity is shaped by its tenant mix and accessibility. Its anchor and major tenants have included Barnes & Noble, Dunham's Sports, Giant Eagle, Marshalls, Petco, and TJ Maxx. The center has also hosted a range of smaller shops, food-service operators, and local or regional services, together with a movie theater. Waterworks' retail offering has changed over time as national chains entered, exited, or were replaced. Former anchors and major tenants have included Bed Bath & Beyond, Phar-Mor, Sam Goody, Service Merchandise, and Walmart. The Walmart location itself had an earlier retail history under Hills and later Ames before becoming Walmart. These changes reflect the broader evolution of American shopping centers from department-store and general-merchandise anchors toward a more varied mix of grocery, off-price, sporting-goods, pet, bookstore, dining, and entertainment uses. The plaza's food and beverage component has included Starbucks, Burgatory, Panera Bread, Uncle Sam's Subs, Five Guys Burgers, Aladdin's Eatery, Italian Village Pizza, Ichiban Hibachi & Sushi Bar, Mad Mex, and Subway. This combination of everyday shopping and dining gives the center both convenience-oriented and destination-oriented functions. The center is reported to contain more than 65 stores and services. In October 2022, Walmart announced that it would close its Waterworks location on November 11 of that year, citing the store's past and present financial performance. The closure was one of the more notable recent changes to the plaza's tenant base, but available reference material does not indicate that the entire shopping center closed. Waterworks Shopping Plaza remains an active retail property, although its tenant composition and anchor strategy may continue to evolve.

Waterworks Shopping Plaza opened in 1982 on Freeport Road in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was developed as a large outdoor shopping center serving the city and nearby communities in Allegheny County. The property grew into a substantial regional retail destination, with approximately 914,638 square feet of gross leasable area and a tenant base spanning anchor retailers, smaller specialty shops, restaurants, services, and entertainment. The center's commercial identity has changed through successive retail cycles. Earlier major occupants included Hills, Ames, Phar-Mor, Sam Goody, Service Merchandise, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Several of these businesses later left the property or ceased operating nationally, while newer and continuing tenants broadened the center's mix. The Walmart site had previously been associated with Hills and Ames, illustrating the succession of general-merchandise operators at the location. In its more established configuration, Waterworks included or has included Barnes & Noble, Dunham's Sports, Giant Eagle, Marshalls, Petco, and TJ Maxx as prominent tenants. Its dining component has included both national chains and regional operators, such as Starbucks, Panera Bread, Five Guys Burgers, Subway, Burgatory, Aladdin's Eatery, Mad Mex, Italian Village Pizza, Ichiban Hibachi & Sushi Bar, and Uncle Sam's Subs. A movie theater and more than 65 stores and services further positioned the property as a mixed retail, dining, and entertainment destination. J.J. Gumberg Co. of Pittsburgh manages the center. The available reference material does not identify the original developer, current owner, or a formal corporate parent separate from the management company. It also does not provide a complete chronology of renovations, tenant openings, or ownership transfers. The property was the setting of a serious criminal incident in April 2007, when a woman and her 16-month-old baby were kidnapped at knifepoint. The woman was forced to drive to Ohio, where she was repeatedly raped. Her family subsequently brought a civil lawsuit against the center's owner, and the case was settled on November 18, 2008. The available source does not state the settlement amount or establish the final legal findings. A later tenant change occurred in 2022. On October 24, Walmart announced that it would close its Waterworks store on November 11, citing the location's past and present financial performance. The closure removed a significant general-merchandise tenant, but the source describes Waterworks Shopping Plaza as an active center with other anchors and tenants rather than as a defunct property. Its continuing role is that of a multi-tenant retail destination whose performance depends on tenant turnover, local demand, and the changing economics of physical shopping centers.

• 2022

  Walmart closure announced

  [1]Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Walmart announced that its Waterworks store would close on November 11 because of the location's past and present financial performance.

• 2008

  Civil case settled

  [1]Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The civil lawsuit connected with the 2007 incident was settled on November 18.

• 2007

  Kidnapping and civil litigation

  [1]Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  A woman and her infant were kidnapped at knifepoint at the mall in April. The incident later led to a civil lawsuit against the center's owner.

• 1982

  Shopping center opens

  [1]Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Waterworks Shopping Plaza opens on Freeport Road in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an outdoor regional shopping center.

A large, convenient Pittsburgh-area open-air shopping center combining everyday retail, off-price and specialty stores, grocery, dining, services, and entertainment.

• Retail · 1982

  Anchor and major retail stores

  Waterworks Shopping Plaza has hosted a broad anchor mix including Barnes & Noble, Dunham's Sports, Giant Eagle, Marshalls, Petco, and TJ Maxx. These tenants cover books, sporting goods, grocery, off-price apparel and general merchandise, and pet products. Former major occupants included Bed Bath & Beyond, Phar-Mor, Sam Goody, Service Merchandise, and Walmart, with the Walmart site having previously been occupied by Hills and Ames.

• Dining · 1982

  Restaurants and food services

  The plaza's dining offer has included coffee, fast-casual, full-service, takeaway, and specialty food operators. Reference material names Starbucks, Burgatory, Panera Bread, Uncle Sam's Subs, Five Guys Burgers, Aladdin's Eatery, Italian Village Pizza, Ichiban Hibachi & Sushi Bar, Mad Mex, and Subway. The exact current tenant roster is not established by the available source.

• Entertainment and services · 1982

  Entertainment and services

  Beyond retail and dining, Waterworks has included a movie theater and numerous smaller stores and service businesses. These uses complement the anchor tenants and help make the property a broader local shopping and leisure destination rather than a single-purpose retail site.

• 2007

  Kidnapping and sexual-assault lawsuit

  In April 2007, a woman and her 16-month-old child were kidnapped at knifepoint at the mall. The woman was forced to drive to Ohio and was repeatedly raped. Her family filed a civil lawsuit against the center's owner, and the case was settled on November 18, 2008. The available source does not provide the settlement amount or further legal details.

  Source

Read more

• 2022

  Walmart store closureOther

  Background

  Walmart reviewed the performance of its Waterworks location and announced a planned closure in October 2022.

  Action taken

  The store was scheduled to close on November 11, 2022.

  Aftermath

  The decision removed a major general-merchandise tenant from the plaza. The available reference material does not document the subsequent replacement tenant or broader redevelopment plans.

  Source

• 2022

  Walmart to close its Waterworks location[1]Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Walmart announced on October 24, 2022 that its store at Waterworks Shopping Plaza would close on November 11. The company attributed the decision to the location's past and present financial performance.

1. 1Waterworks Shopping Plazaen.wikipedia.org