Midtown Market opens in Canonsburg
Andrew Andronas was awake until 4 a.m. Friday. It wasn’t his mind working overtime.
He was.
Andronas was applying the proverbial final touches to Midtown Market ahead of its ribbon-cutting a little more than eight hours later at 48 W. Pike St. in downtown Canonsburg.
He was the driving force, and almost everything else, behind the development of this project featuring a mix of dining, retail shopping, an events center and the inclusion of duckpin bowling.
“It’s been a long 14 months,” Andronas said, with a broad smile, of the building of this dream. “It has taken an absolute volume of work. I was the developer, general contractor, leasing agent, you name it. But I feel great about this.”
He was buoyant as well, despite a lack of shuteye. “I’m running off adrenaline now.”
The Midtown Market is the latest addition to a revitalized downtown that continues to evolve. “This is not the first new development on this street,” said Andronas, a Canonsburg native who now resides in North Strabane Township. “We’re cranking on all cylinders.”
About 80 people appeared for the event, despite the frigid temperature, and got to stroll through the first floor of a revamped building that was once a locally iconic location. This was where McCrory’s, a five- and 10-cent shop, operated for decades.
A hot dog shop and a soda shop, the latter also featuring ice cream, are on that floor. So is the train station for the Canonsburg Old Fashioned Christmas celebration, Dec. 5 and 6. Gary Phillips of McDonald runs the massive, colorful display, using a fraction of his trains.
He said the station, as of noon Friday, had attracted $450 in donations that will go to City Mission.
The events center, which isn’t quite complete, will operate on the floor above.
Andronas’ AJA Co. was the developer of this project, which was serviced by Cuccaro Plumbing of Pittsburgh.
The ribbon-cutting was mercifully conducted indoors, during which five spoke glowingly of Midtown Market: Canonsburg mayor Dave Rhome; county Commissioner Larry Maggi; the borough’s director of development, Lisa Scarmazzi; Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce; and Andronas, who was accompanied by wife Dolly, daughter Christiana and son Frankie.
Kotula lauded Andronas and the Midtown Market endeavor, saying “they will be economic drivers in this region.”
Following the gathering, Kotula said by telephone that he has known Andronas for a while and is impressed with him. “He does have a style to make it happen,” the chamber leader said.
“A lot of times when a project or an idea proves to be successful, it came from the mind of one individual. In this instance, Andrew had a vision to build not only in his hometown, but to invest in his hometown.”
After working into early Friday, Andronas did scurry home to take a nap. Literally, a nap. He was up by 8. “I didn’t know whether I’d fall down or be OK.”
He will try to catch up on his sleep this weekend.