Jan 16, 2019 2 min read

A new Aldi grocery store has become the cornerstone of a major redo of a strip mall in Rostraver Township.

The store, which opened in December in part of a former Kmart, is attracting a lot of foot traffic to the development at Route 201 and Finley Road, said Gina Lynn, executive director of Greater Rostraver Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s a nice improvement for the community,” Lynn said.

The new owner, BV Plaza of Pittsburgh, began demolition work in May to scale back the size of the old Kmart because it couldn’t find a tenant interested in a big-box store, township records indicate.

It created a second series of storefronts facing Finley Road, a couple of which remained vacant Tuesday.

Lynn said there is a lot of speculation as to what companies will move into the plaza, which is located in a sprawling retail district.

Rostraver officials said they have yet to receive documents identifying any new tenants of the strip mall.

The Kmart closing was announced in June 2017 by its owner, Sears Holdings Corp., in an era when online shopping has redefined retail sales.

Several other businesses have decided to stay in the plaza, including Speedy Furniture and a Keystone Bakery, which enlarged and added a second location of the Charleroi-based Perked Up Cafe, Lynn said.

“That makes it nice,” she said. “You now have a coffee shop.”

Lynn said Rostraver is making progress because it still has room for growth.