TARENTUM, PA-The opening phase of the 172,000-sf Village at Pittsburgh Mills will break ground within the next three weeks. It is adjacent to the 1.1-million-sf Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, which opened in July 2005. Phase 1 of the Village consists of a 30,000-sf Best Buy and 20,000-sf PetSmart.

The developer, Johnstown-based Zamias Services Inc., owns a 25% share of the Galleria, and Arlington, VA-based Mills Corp., holds the other 75% share. Mills has been disposing of some properties and eliminating some management posts following an SEC requirement to restate past earnings. Asked if Zamias was considering acquiring Mills' 75% share of the Galleria property, Perry Russ, EVP of Zamias, says, "I can't comment."

Russ tells GlobeSt.com that Applebee's has committed to one of the four additional big-box, or junior-anchor parcels in the Village, "and next week we'll be ready to announce agreements for two others" leaving just one available. He says the full center, which will also contain a 26,953-sf area of small shops, is expected to reach completion by fall 2007. He declined to disclose an estimated construction cost, saying all the bids are not complete.

The location is on Route 28, just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and about 17 miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. The Village is next to a new self-owned Lowe's unit, plus a Sam's Club and Wal-Mart SuperCenter. Among the tenants in the Galleria are H&M, Forever 21, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret and American Eagle. Russ tells GlobeSt.com that Zamias currently has six retail developments under way in Pennsylvania.