The Waterfront attracts visitors as a shopping and dining destination, as well as a place for entertainment, where you laugh it up at the Pittsburgh Improv, see a movie at the AMC Theatre, or play all day at Dave & Buster’s. Not satisfied to remain a one-stop-shop for chain restaurants and retail, The Waterfront has made efforts to stand out more with new features being rolled out this year.
The Waterfront announced that it has embarked on a “full refresh” of its Town Center, including adding “several new amenities and spaces for children, families and even pets to enjoy.” The Town Center anchors a large number of the open-air shopping district’s businesses, including Carhartt, The Children’s Place, and Yankee Candle, among many others, as well as restaurants like Burgatory and Bravo Italian Kitchen.
The refresh has begun with the recent opening of Harmony Park, a “children’s musical play area that will provide interactive fun for all ages.” Kids can now access steel instruments installed in the “grassy quadrant” next to the Town Center Starbucks.
“Harmony Park, along with the other amenities visitors have to look forward to this year, will be such a joyful addition to our family-friendly atmosphere at The Waterfront,” said Emily Wittmer, marketing director for The Waterfront. “We’re always searching for new ways to engage with the community, and the interactive element offered by the park will allow us to cultivate a fun and memorable experience for all ages.”
The additions and improvements mark a positive step for The Waterfront. In November 2012, BIG Shopping Centers USA and M & J Wilkow purchased, and now manage the the 764,691-square-foot retail center, which was opened in 1999 on the former site of U.S. Steel’s Homestead Steel Works. In December 2022, WPXI reported that the owners planned to “invest $4 million in various upgrades and maintenance at The Waterfront."
Cited among those upgrades is a soon-to-be-opened playground designed specifically for canines. Located next to Torrid, it promises a recreational area for visiting dog owners. It will also serve as a “pit stop” for those using traversing the Great Allegheny Passage trail with their “four-legged friends.” The 150-mile-long trail from Cumberland, Md. to Pittsburgh runs through Homestead, where The Waterfront is located.
Other improvements include a new Town Center water fountain, repairs to the concrete and asphalt, and repainting of the Town Center façade.
The Waterfront appeals to dogs, kids, and GAP trail users with new amenities
