Apr 1, 2015 3 min read

The banner fronting Park Place at the Meadowlands proclaims Don Patron, a Mexican restaurant, is coming soon.

But how soon?

David Biafora of Metro Property Management, developer of the project, said he isn’t sure of the timetable for Don Patron’s opening. And a Google search for corporate contact information proved to be fruitless.

In the meantime, you can almost feel the earth move under your feet in the 44-acre, mixed-use development. Businesses continue to launch during the latter stages of Phase I and tons of dirt are being moved for Phase II. The investment firm Waddell & Reed opened Friday and construction of Burgerz and Dogz is ongoing.

The second phase will feature an apartment complex with 206 units and small retail. Biafora said the apartments are targeted to open in the fall.

Park Place opened, partially, 17 months ago near the intersection of Route 19 and Racetrack Road. That section is in South Strabane Township, but the vast majority of the project is in North Strabane.

Biafora’s family owns Metro Property Management, which is based in Morgantown, W.Va. Accelerated Construction Services, also of Morgantown, is handling construction.

Ground was broken March 15 for a fifth building in Ashwood Commons office condominium complex off Route 19 in North Strabane Township. Shari DeNardo, co-owner of JND Properties, the commercial developer, said two companies already have committed to all of the workspace there. She declined to name the future occupants, but said that condo will feature 8,440 square feet of custom corporate offices.

DeNardo, who owns JND with her husband Joe, said the four existing buildings are fully occupied by 10 companies, all medical- or business-related. That means when the fifth facility is completed – Oct. 1 is the target – Ashwood will be 12 for 12. No vacancies.

Businesses locating at Ashwood Commons have the option of owning or leasing their space.

JND plans to construct eight condos total, all two stories, on the 9.5-acre property accessed by Ashwood Drive.

Ashwood Commons sits below another construction site, where work on a single-family housing development is under way.

• Washington & Jefferson College graduate Bob Fittipaldo was hired as director of facility management by Burns & Scalo Real Estate Services Inc., Green Tree. He will supervise more than 4 million square feet of commercial office structures, flex and warehouse buildings and storage facilities. Fittipaldo previously worked for Giant Eagle, Inc.

• Eighty Four’s 84 Lumber has announced four hirings.

Joining the team headquarters campus there are: Matthew Messerly of Peters Township, a California University graduate, and Thomas Ruffing, a Penn State graduate from Jefferson Hills, as operations managers; and Rachel Wolfe, a Penn State graduate from Grindstone, as an A/P clerk. Mark Silvio of Penn Hills, a graduate of the Art Institute in Pittsburgh, has been hired at the Bridgeville store as a contractor sales kitchen representative.