Value City Shopping Center, Pleasant Hills, PA

[TheFugitive]

Yes, it is still called the Value City Shopping Center, despite the fact that Value City
Department Stores closed up shop in 2008.   Located on Curry Hollow Rd. in Pleasant
Hills, PA, perhaps a mile from the junction with PA Route 51.

Was there yesterday and "blighted" does not even begin to describe it.   
Was anchored by a VERY large (I would guess 90,000 sq. ft. selling space) Value City store
up until the chain failed.  I recall that for a second-tier department store selling a lot of irregulars
and salvage, it was exceptionally clean.  Now it sits empty.   

Next door was the Ruby Chinese Restaurant, famous throughout South Pittsburgh for it's
$3.99 lunch specials.  They closed up shortly after Value City left.   At the opposite end of
the plaza is a very large supermarket that was originally a Kroger store.  It was a Foodland
when that chain pulled the plug about two years ago.

This plaza has at least 3/4 of its space vacant.  The one thing that seems to keep people coming here
is Duffy's Beer and Pop for Less, one of the cheapest places you can buy a case of beer under the
constraints of Pennsylvania's 19th. Century liquor laws.   There is a Pat Catan's next door to Duffy's.
At the front is a bench that locals laughingly refer to as the "Husband's Bench".  Where the guys can
sit and wait as their wives shop at Pat Catan's.  Or they can just go next door and shop for beer.

Other remaining tenants include Fantastic Sam's, H&R Block (which is basically closed 2/3 of the year anyhow),
an appliance parts distributor, a Family Dollar store, and a diner called the Our Little Secret Café and Caterers.
Curiously I have been by there at various times of day and have rarely found them open.  Their Yelp and
Urbanspoon reviews seem to indicate that they are still in business, and the food is pretty good, but that
they do not keep to their posted hours and are open very irregularly.

Also an Asian takeout place called Ichiban where, I am told, the food is so bland it is put to shame
even by the $3.99 specials at Ruby Chinese.

The parking lot is poorly maintained and is increasingly filled with cracks and weeds.
Interestingly though, a former bank at the edge of the parking lot was recently converted to a new
Dunkin Donuts location with a drive thru.

There is a large apartment complex next door which has been infamous for many years for ongoing
issues with crime and problem tenants.  Whether that has any role in the failure of this plaza is uncertain.
More likely the fact that there is just no other discounter still around who would be capable of filling up
that huge Value City space.

When it first opened that space was briefly a Gold Circle.
Were it not for Duffy's I imagine this place would draw about zero foot traffic.

[TheFugitive]

This plaza has recently gotten a re-facing and the parking lot was paved.
Levin Furniture moved into the former Value City location.  A Nepali grocer
has moved into one of the other vacant spots.  The supermarket at the other end
of the plaza is still empty.

[TheFugitive]

Went by this place the other evening and saw that the Pat Catan's store had closed.

I thought it would be rebranded as a Michaels.  It was a very popular store in the area.
Wives would go into Pat Catan's to shop and their husbands would go into Duffy's Beer
next door.

Supermarket at the other end is still empty also.

[TheFugitive]

Pat Catan's was replaced by Michaels.  The long-vacant Foodland supermarket site was recently filled by a White Cap Construction Supply store.  I'll post a picture once I figure out where to host them.