The long-faded Washington Mall is now mostly a memory, its concrete shell reduced to piles of debris and crawling excavators in South Strabane Township. Where shoppers once dodged crowds, crews are now carving out room for a more-than-150,000-square-foot Costco and a cluster of new outparcels that officials say will finally flip the site from eyesore to economic engine.
For now, Harbor Freight and Grand China Buffet are still standing, lonely holdouts on a rapidly changing property. Both are expected to go later this year as new construction picks up. Redevelopment staff says demolition crews are also busy below the surface, working on sewage and water lines while the last of the old mall comes down.
Bob Griffin, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington, told the Herald-Star that Harbor Freight already has a building permit for its next move. The current store will not be torn down until the new location is ready. “It will not be demolished until they are able to occupy the new building. That should be completed sometime this summer,” Griffin said, according to the report. He also noted that Grand China Buffet’s lease is expiring and that its building will likely be removed around the same time as Harbor Freight.
What’s being built
A Costco expected to occupy more than 150,000 square feet is set to anchor the project, with Campers Inn RV slated to take over the former Giant Eagle space, according to the Observer-Reporter. Plans also call for a new Harbor Freight store on an outparcel at the redeveloped site.
The developer steering the overhaul is 79/70 Associates LLC, a company connected to Chapman Properties. Chapman did not return a request for comment as reporters looked for more specifics on future tenants and a detailed timeline.
Money and timeline
The Redevelopment Authority has awarded a $5.9 million contract to Neiswonger Construction to manage demolition and oversee the broader site work, according to the authority’s project information. Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington materials state that the teardown covers more than 40 acres wedged between Interstates 70 and 79 and includes major utility upgrades.
County leaders say federal blight-mitigation funds are helping to pay for the job. Local television coverage has reported that developers were aiming for a Costco opening by December 2026, a timeline first noted by WPXI.
Community impacts
Officials and project supporters say the redevelopment will swap a long-vacant, highly visible property for new jobs and fresh tax revenue. Neighbors, meanwhile, are juggling nostalgia for the old mall with a cautious hope that a busy Costco and its satellite shops will finally bring steady traffic and paychecks back to the corridor.
Local estimates and county projections suggest hundreds of people will eventually work across the new businesses, though no final tenant roster or precise hiring numbers have been released. For nearby residents, the next big things will be Harbor Freight’s move and the official word on when Grand China Buffet will close and clear out.
Developers say more public details will roll out as grading and utility work wrap up. On site, observers can already spot steel rising for the new Harbor Freight and cleared pads where the big-box anchor is expected to go. Chapman Properties did not return a request for comment, according to the Herald-Star. In the meantime, locals will be watching for Harbor Freight’s relocation and any township notices that lock in the Costco construction schedule.
