PITTSBURGH — Walmart has notified city officials it wants to repurpose two vacant Rite Aid pharmacies in Pittsburgh into logistics hubs to speed up home delivery, a proposal that now faces local zoning review.
Two sites, one plan
The retailer has approached the city about taking over the former Rite Aid at Noblestown Road in the West End and the location on Howley Street in Bloomfield. According to filings and local reporting, Walmart would use the sites as delivery depots stocked with popular items to enable faster home delivery to customers.
- Bloomfield (Howley Street): Walmart sought a special exception to renovate the site for grocery store use; the Zoning Board of Adjustment heard that proposal Thursday.
- West End (Noblestown Road): A similar zoning request for the West End location is scheduled to be considered by the zoning board next week.
What the proposal would mean locally
If approved, the locations would function primarily as fulfillment points for online orders rather than traditional retail stores. The report states plainly:
"The depots would not be open to the public."That distinction carries implications for neighborhood access to goods, traffic patterns and local employment.
Because the sites would be geared toward delivery rather than storefront sales, customers would not be able to shop inside. At the same time, a depot model typically increases short-haul vehicle activity — couriers and delivery vans arriving and departing throughout the day — which is a concern often raised at Zoning Board hearings about impacts on residential streets and curb space.
Zoning decisions remain pending
The zoning board must decide whether to grant special exceptions that would allow Walmart to renovate the Bloomfield site for grocery use and authorize the West End conversion. The timeline for any openings is unclear pending the board’s rulings and subsequent permitting or construction work.
| Site | Proposed Use | Zoning Status |
|---|---|---|
| Howley Street, Bloomfield | Renovation for grocery use / delivery depot | Heard by Zoning Board Thursday |
| Noblestown Road, West End | Delivery depot | Hearing scheduled next week |
Context and consequences
Vacant drugstore properties have been an item on Pittsburgh’s redevelopment agenda for years as national chains consolidate. For city officials and neighborhood residents, decisions about those properties touch on access to groceries and services, commercial vacancy rates, jobs and the character of retail corridors. A move by a national retailer to use small urban sites as fulfillment centers reflects a broader shift in how retailers serve customers, but it also shifts some of the burdens — notably curbside activity and delivery traffic — onto city streets.
With both petitions now before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, neighbors and officials will have an opportunity to scrutinize operational details, delivery schedules, parking arrangements and any mitigation measures Walmart proposes. The outcome will shape how these blocks function for residents and whether a national logistics approach can fit into Pittsburgh’s mixed-use neighborhoods.
Further developments, including any permit approvals or a projected opening timeline, will depend on the zoning outcomes and subsequent plans submitted to the city.
