A 16.9-acre shopping center is rising at the intersection of Route 19 and Dutilh Road, and the biggest question in Cranberry Township retail right now is one nobody will answer: who is moving into the 55,060-square-foot anchor space?

On March 30, 2026, the Cranberry Township Planning Advisory Commission considered a Revised Preliminary Land Development application for what is formally called "North Pointe at Cranberry" — a Neighborhood Shopping Center that will be built in five phases. 1 The commission was asked to recommend approval only for the first phase: a 7,320-square-foot America's Tire store. 2 The 55,060-square-foot "Large Retail use," a 1,960-square-foot drive-thru establishment, and an eastern parcel were explicitly deferred to a later date. 3

The conditional use public hearing is scheduled for May 1, 2026. 4

The approach is unusual. Most shopping center applications arrive with their anchor tenant named. This one came with a deliberate blank.

A Site Eight Years in the Making

The property at 20400 Route 19 has a long history of plans and delays. The site was formerly home to the Doyle Equipment Company, which for years used its front lawn to showcase heavy construction equipment. 5 Property owner David Smail — who also owns the adjacent Home Depot property — demolished the buildings and cleared the site. 6

In May 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved a preliminary land development plan for an 81,600-square-foot retail plaza, an 8,050-square-foot restaurant, and a 2,800-square-foot bank with a drive-thru window. 7 The center was designed to connect via American Way to the Home Depot property and The Streets of Cranberry shopping center. 8 But at that time, no lease agreements were in place, and the project stalled. 9

Eight years later, the project has returned with a new development partner — Echo Realty, the Pittsburgh-based firm listed as the applicant contact for the conditional use application. 10 Echo Realty is one of the leading privately held developers of grocery-anchored shopping centers in the United States, with a portfolio of more than 230 properties totaling 9 million square feet across the East Coast and Midwest. 11 Their involvement signals serious commercial intent.

What Fits in 55,060 Square Feet?

The anchor space is the central mystery. At 55,060 square feet, it falls in a specific range that narrows the field of likely tenants considerably.

For context: a standard TJ Maxx or Marshalls runs 25,000 to 30,000 square feet. A Burlington Coat Factory typically occupies 40,000 to 80,000 square feet. A Target store averages 130,000 square feet. The 55,000-square-foot range is the domain of mid-size anchors — think HomeGoods plus TJ Maxx combo stores, a standalone Hobby Lobby (which typically range from 50,000 to 60,000 square feet), or a grocery store. 12

TJX Companies announced plans to open 146 net-new stores in 2026 across its banners, working toward a long-term target of 7,000 locations globally. 13 Much of that growth is targeted at HomeGoods and HomeSense, which are expanding into 1,800 stores. 14 A combined TJ Maxx/HomeGoods — which frequently occupies a footprint in the 50,000-to-60,000 range — would be consistent with the square footage here.

However, Cranberry already hosts both TJ Maxx and HomeGoods at Cranberry Commons Shopping Center on Route 228. 15 A grocer would also fit: Echo Realty specializes in grocery-anchored centers, and their recent 44,000-square-foot Market District project in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood demonstrates their affinity for that model. 16 Wegmans — currently under construction at Cranberry Springs near the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex — would be the township's first, but it is already accounted for. 17

The drive-thru component at 1,960 square feet suggests a fast-food or coffee chain. For comparison, the 7 Brew coffee drive-thru recently approved for 20315 Route 19 is 770 square feet. 18

America's Tire: The Confirmed First Phase

The one certainty is America's Tire, the retail brand of Discount Tire, which will occupy a 7,320-square-foot building. 19 The company's stores typically span 7,000-plus square feet with six to eight service bays. 20 America's Tire has been expanding aggressively into Pennsylvania, recently opening locations in Wilkes-Barre Township and expanding into New Jersey. 21

The conditional use application specifically identifies this as an "Automobile Repair" use in the SU-1 zoning district — a category that requires conditional use approval and a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors. 22

Infrastructure Follows Development

The township is already preparing for the traffic this center will generate. On March 26, 2026, the Board of Supervisors authorized submission of a Green Light-Go Grant application to PennDOT for improvements at the Route 19 and Dutilh Road intersection. 23 The project proposes replacing existing signal poles, adding a dedicated right turn lane on Dutilh Road, realigning the intersection on both sides of Route 19, installing a new traffic signal, and enhancing pedestrian crossings. 24

Township Manager Dan Santoro described the scope: "We're looking at traffic improvements, additional turn lanes, realignment to the intersection on both sides of 19, a new traffic signal, enhancing pedestrian crossing, improving traffic flow." 25

Route 19 through Cranberry Township carries upwards of 40,000 vehicles daily, with the Route 19/Route 228/Freedom Road intersection handling up to 120,000. 26 The corridor is managed by Cranberry's Traffic Operations Center using an adaptive signal system. 27

A Corridor Still Growing

North Pointe joins a cascade of new commercial development along Route 19. The recently approved Ogle View Development — a 19.1-acre community shopping center and residential project anchored by Sheetz at Route 19 and Ogle View Road — received supervisors' approval in November 2025. 28 Shake Shack is opening at 20406 Route 19. 29 Mission BBQ, Kyuramen, and Cold Stone Creamery have all recently opened along the corridor. 30

Cranberry Township's population has grown from 33,087 in 2020 to an estimated 35,516 in 2026 — a growth rate of roughly 2.1 percent annually. 31 It is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and township officials note that more people now commute into Cranberry for work than leave. 32

That growth has supported steady commercial expansion. The township's official "Just Opened" list currently shows 40 new businesses. 33 The "Opening Soon" list adds 20 more, including seven major construction projects. 34 Retail vacancy along Route 19 remains low by regional standards, as evidenced by Cranberry Square's 3.5 million annual shopping visits. 35

What to Watch

The May 1 conditional use hearing will address only the America's Tire component. 36 The 55,060-square-foot anchor, the drive-thru, and the eastern parcel will return at a later — as yet unscheduled — date. Final land development approval is targeted for June 27, 2026. 37

When that anchor tenant is eventually revealed, it will tell us something important about what Cranberry's retail corridor still lacks — and what a sophisticated developer like Echo Realty believes this market can support.

Sources

1 Cranberry Township Planning Advisory Commission Agenda, March 30, 2026. PR #LD-26-1 - North Pointe at Cranberry - Revised Preliminary Land Development. 2 Ibid. Commission asked to recommend approval for 7,320 s.f. Automobile Repair use. 3 Ibid. Deferral of 55,060 s.f. Large Retail use, 1,960 s.f. Drive-thru, and eastern parcel. 4 Cranberry Township PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. PR #COND-26-2, TLD to open public hearing 5/1/26. 5 Cranberry Township Civic Alert, May 2018. "The front lawn had been used to showcase heavy construction equipment." 6 Patch.com, "New Shopping Center Planned For Cranberry," May 2018. Developer David Smail; site at intersection of Dutilh Road and Route 19. 7 Cranberry Township Board of Supervisors approval, May 3, 2018. 81,600 sf retail, 8,050 sf restaurant, 2,800 sf bank. 8 Ibid. Connection via American Way to Home Depot and Streets of Cranberry. 9 Ibid. "No lease agreements are currently in place for the store spaces." 10 Cranberry Township "Proposed Developments Under Review" webpage. North Pointe contact: Echo Realty, 412-850-5321. 11 Shopping Center Business, "Greystar, Echo Realty Break Ground on Multifamily, Retail Development in Pittsburgh." Portfolio of 230+ properties, 9 million sq ft. 12 Industry standard retail footprints: TJ Maxx (25-30k sf), Burlington (40-80k sf), Target (130k sf), Hobby Lobby (50-60k sf). 13 Retail TouchPoints, "TJX Plans 146 New Stores This Year, Eyes Goal of 7,000 Stores Globally," 2026. 14 Ibid. HomeGoods expansion to 1,800 stores. 15 Cranberry Commons Shopping Center (Yelp). Tenants include Target, Lowe's, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, PetSmart, Fresh Thyme Market. 16 Shopping Center Business. Echo Realty's The Meridian: 44,000 sf retail with Market District grocery anchor. 17 Howard Hanna/Pittsburgh Home Guide, "Cranberry Township PA: New Homes and Business Development in 2025." Wegmans' first western PA store at Cranberry Springs. 18 PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. PR #LD-26-3 - 7 Brew, 770 s.f. drive-thru at 20315 Route 19. 19 PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. PR #COND-26-2. 7,320 s.f. Automobile Repair (America's Tire). 20 raSmith engineering firm project page, Discount Tire/America's Tire. Stores typically 7,000+ sf with 6-8 bays. 21 Times Leader, "America's Tire opens store in Wilkes-Barre Twp"; PRNewswire, "America's Tire Expands Retail Footprint Into New Jersey," 2026. 22 PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. Automobile Repair use in SU-1 zoning district requiring conditional use. 23 Cranberry Township Board of Supervisors Agenda, March 26, 2026. Resolution No. 2026-20, Green Light-Go Grant. 24 Ibid. Signal pole replacement and right turn lane realignment on Dutilh Road. 25 Butler Eagle, "Cranberry eyes grants for future Route 19 work," April 2, 2026. Quote from Township Manager Dan Santoro. 26 Cranberry Township Traffic Management webpage. US 19 carries 40,000+ vehicles daily; Route 19/228/Freedom intersection: 120,000. 27 Ibid. Centracs Edaptive adaptive signal system at twelve signals. 28 Butler Eagle, "Cranberry supervisors advance Ogle View Development following public hearing," November 20, 2025. 29 Cranberry Township "Opening Soon" page, updated April 8, 2026. Shake Shack at 20406 Route 19. 30 Cranberry Township "Just Opened" page, updated April 8, 2026. Mission BBQ (20229 Rt 19), Kyuramen (20430 Rt 19), Cold Stone (20325 Rt 19). 31 U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (33,087); World Population Review projection for 2026 (35,516). 32 Butler Eagle, "Growth Galore: How southwestern Butler County is planning for population increases," October 30, 2024. 33 Cranberry Township "Just Opened" page, April 2026. Approximately 40 businesses listed. 34 Cranberry Township "Opening Soon" page, April 2026. 20 incoming businesses, 7 major construction projects. 35 Echo Realty/LoopNet listing for North Pointe of Cranberry. Cranberry Square: 3.5 million annual visits. 36 PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. Conditional use hearing limited to Automobile Repair component. 37 PAC Agenda, March 30, 2026. TLD (time limit for decision) of 6/27/26.