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November 7, 2002

Pitt signs 2nd Sennott Square tenant

Pitt has signed a second tenant for the ground floor space in Sennott Square.

New Balance Pittsburgh, an athletic shoes and sports apparel store, is expected to open by mid-January, according to owner Chuck Gordon. Gordon also owns Gordon’s Shoes, a Pittsburgh institution since 1885.

New Balance joins Panera Bread as commercial tenants of the ground floor space. Panera is expected to open Nov. 18.

Eli Shorak, associate vice chancellor for Business, confirmed Pitt’s agreement with New Balance Pittsburgh Oct. 28 at a University Senate plant utilization and planning committee meeting.

Shorak said that the shoe and apparel store will occupy the corner at South Bouquet Street and Forbes Avenue. The entrance to the store will be on Forbes, he said.

According to Gordon, New Balance Pittsburgh will take up about 2,300 square feet of the 18,000 square-foot-area in the building’s ground floor. He said the store will feature a full complement of New Balance athletic shoes in all sizes and hard-to-get widths, as well as Dunham boots and hiking boots. “We also will carry a full line of apparel from T-shirts and sweats to gloves and backpacks,” Gordon said. He added that the store was looking into providing parking validation in the 72-space underground parking garage for customers.

“We haven’t really done much marketing yet,” Gordon said. “I’m not even sure at this point if we’ll be open on Sundays or stay open later on some evenings. Some of that may be decided on a wait-and-see basis. But we’re very excited to be locating in that area, especially that there is parking available [for customers]. I think our range of products, from walking and running shoes, to trail shoes and cross-trainers and basketball shoes, and all of the apparel we offer, has appeal for Pitt people generally, and not just students.”

Shorak said that Pitt continues to seek other commercial tenants for Sennott Square, probably one or two more, but he declined to specify any prospects.

“It’s not a good time for retail expansion,” Shorak said. “Many retailers seem to be cutting back on their expansion plans due partly to the economy. Also, this is not a mall but is located in an urban market,” which has turned off some prospective tenants, he said. “We were negotiating with Urban Outfitters clothing outlet at one point, but they backed off.”

Shorak added that Pitt could fill the space with, for example, a fast-food chain store, but is being intentionally selective “to attract tenants to serve our population of students, faculty and staff.”

—Peter Hart

Filed under: Feature,Volume 35 Issue 6

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