Oct 9, 2014 2 min read

Washington Crown Center continues to be a center for change.

Ross Dress for Less will be the latest store to launch there with a soft opening at 10 a.m. today, said Joy Weidel, group marketing director for Crown Center. The grand opening, with ribbon-cutting, she added, will begin at 8:45 a.m. Saturday.

Ross will be the fourth retail outlet in the past year to begin operations at the North Franklin Township mall, following Marshalls, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Ulta Beauty.

Marshalls, coincidentally, debuted on this date a year ago.

The newest Ross will occupy 25,000 square feet of space between Marshalls and outdoors retailer Gander Mountain. It is owned by Ross Stores Inc., an off-price department store chain based in Pleasanton, Calif., which has 1,194 stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

This is the second time Ross Dress for Less has located to this area. It opened April 15, 2007, in the Foundry, the ill-fated retail complex off Route 19 in South Strabane Township. Subsidence issues, however, caused structural damage to that and two of the three other businesses that began operations, and Ross left the area by mid-2008.

Except for Max & Erma’s restaurant, the Foundry shut down. The site, however, was revived for retail as the Old Mill project, with Field & Stream, Hobby Lobby, Buffalo Wild Wings and a number of other venues opening their doors in recent months – and others preparing to do so.

There are six other Ross stores in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but only one of them is within 25 miles of Washington – in the Settlers Ridge complex in Robinson Township.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (Preit), based in Philadelphia, owns, manages and leases Washington Crown Center.

After opening weekend, Ross Dress for Less will assume regular mall hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.