Despite Rumors, Walmart Mum About Plans For North Hills

There are some very large parcels of land either for sale, have recently sold, or which have been vacant for a long time along the McKnight Road corridor, and that has led to speculation, more than once, that Walmart is planning to move into .

A spokesman for the giant retailer had little to say when recently asked about the possibility. 

"While we’re definitely interested in serving more customers in PA and the Pittsburgh area, we don’t have any plans to announce at this time," said Walmart spokesman Bill Wertz.

Levey and Company from Akron, OH recently purchased the site of the former McCrackin Ford dealership at 7209 McKnight Road for $5.2-million. According to the Allegheny County real estate web site, the 5.2 acres had a value of $2.2-million in 2012.

The property sits below the site of the former Sam's Club, still owned by Sam's Real Estate Business Trust. That 6.2 acres site was purchased for $9.85 million in 2002, and is valued at $6 million, according to the county's real estate web site.

The building, vacant for several years, still generates huge tax revenue. Allegheny county, alone, collected $33,457 in county property taxes in 2012.

So are the new owners of the McCrackin site ready to sell to Walmart, giving the retailer an 11 acre site for a Walmart Super Center along McKnight Road? For the most part, no one is talking, and Ross Township Zoning Officer Dan Hankins is not surprised.

“Just because someone buys these properties, doesn't mean they are going to do something right away. These things take time," he said.

Another key parcel in play is the Shoppes at Northway, which, after a foreclosure, is  again.

The 385,000-square-foot shopping center complex at 8000 McKnight Road, which has been a local landmark since it was built in the 1960s, went on the block  in October 2011. 

Despite a series of departures along McKnight, including , , and the prolonged vacancy of the former Sam's Club, Hankins sees encouraging signs for Ross Township's busiest business corridor.

“Things are picking up along McKnight Road. will be fully occupied for the first time in a long time,” he said. "I'll take this slow and steady pace. It's good for the township, it's good for the taxpayers."

Would you like to see Walmart open a store along McKnight Road? Take our poll or tell us in comments below.

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