Dear Neighbor...from Waterdam Commons
Ghost-written by John Fries
Greetings from Waterdam!
As we gaze out our second floor window, surveying the traffic along
busy Route 19 and the packed parking lot across the length of the
retail plaza below our offices, it's hard to believe that 14 years
have passed since Waterdam Plaza was born.
They say time flies when you're having fun. That must be true, since
we've certainly had an enjoyable 14 years here at the southern crossroads
of Peters Township, the wonderful community in which we live, work,
raise our children and spend much of our leisure time.
We're proud to be part of this community, and appreciate all those
who have been a part of our personal and professional lives for the
past decade-and-a-half.
Waterdam began with a vision, one that took a giant step toward realization
when we broke ground during the winter of 1988. At the time, commercial
growth in Peters Township was heading south along Rt. 19. The location
of Rt. 19 and Waterdam Roads, along with a traffic signal that we
were to put in place, seemed an ideal location for a multitude of
office and retail opportunities in the years ahead.
As the first buildings were being erected, The Washington Hospital's
then-President, Gene Strosser, expressed enthusiasm about the Waterdam
location and championed it to the hospital and its medical staff.
Before long, the hospital signed on to the Waterdam project to lease
all of the space in Building 2001.
The building opened in July 1989 with several physician offices in
place, and a satellite office for the hospital's Radiology Department.
Among the early tenants in Building 2001 were Drs. Ann McCune, Frank
Brooks, Thomas Corkery, Michael Heis, Washington Ob/Gyn, Uptown Pediatrics,
and Thomas Whalen.
Other buildings opened soon after and our first non-hospital tenants
included chiropractor Maurice Pisciottano, the law practice of Kenneth
Weidaw and Associates, Everette and Hurite, Pediatric Alliance, Pittsburgh
Family Foot Care, Pasqual and Associates, A.G. Edwards & Sons,
and Waterdam Dental, to name just a few.
Also, in 1989, the-first retailers at Waterdam opened for business;
the Donut Connection, Subway, Ceiling Fans and Lighting, Enterprise
Rent-a-Car and Goodyear among them.
In the years that followed, many more retail stores and professional
practices joined the Waterdam family, and we've even helped a few
relocate as they began to outgrow their space.
As the largest commercial landowner in Peters Township, we feel a
strong sense of responsibility to our community and its people. The
years have been absolutely great to us, and w'Őre truly fortunate
to have the world's greatest tenants.
We express our thanks to Gene Strosser for his support in the early
days, and to current President and CEO Telford W. Thomas and Executive
Vice President Gary Weinstein for their continuing support. From several
physicians to a number of hospital services, including the Children's
Therapy Center, Laboratory and Ob/Gyn centers, The Washington Hospital
has established a firm presence at Waterdam.
We would be remiss in not thanking all of the other hospital organizations
that are now represented in Waterdam including Canonsburg Hospital,
UPMC, Allegheny General Hospital, Children's Hospital, and Mercy Hospital.
We also thank the professionals and store and shop owners of all types,
too numerous to mention on this page, who lease our office and retail
space.
We hope we have served--and continue to serve--you well, and look
forward to many more years of working together. Finally, to the professionals
who are considering locating at Waterdam, let us be the first to welcome
you to the finest retail and office mixed use development in the South
Hills of Pittsburgh.
With appreciation,
Joseph Hardy, Jr.
Alex Hardy
