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June 4, 2003
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP — June 4, 2003 - The Pittsburgh Marriott North will open July 11, about three months ahead of
schedule. The 295-room hotel, located near the Route 228/Interstate 79
interchange in Cranberry Township, is now the tallest building in the township
at about 100 feet.
Zoning laws limit buildings in the township to 110 feet, says Jeff Winkle,
director of community development.
General Manager Ron Antonucci says the hotel's design is a prototype located
in several growing suburban communities throughout the country, so the
contractors have had a lot of practice in its construction. This is the 10th
hotel of its type built by Winegardner and Hammons.
Construction began in May 2002.
The eight-story hotel features 14,000-square-feet of office space, a fitness
center, an indoor pool and the River City Grille restaurant.
Many of the rooms are geared toward businesspeople and include a moveable
desk, voice mail, data ports and Internet access. Eight executive boardrooms are
also available.
Antonucci expects most of the guests throughout the week will be business
travelers, while weekends will bring in recreational travelers.
With its location near several major highways, he expects people will stop in
Cranberry en route to their destination.
He also says this hotel will draw "a stronger than normal meetings and
convention business" than other Marriotts because of the strong corporate
business base in the area.
Antonucci does not expect to draw conventions away from Pittsburgh.
"We expect to bring in new meetings and conventions," he says.
Winkle says the hotel could be the first among a new wave of development
sparked by the coming Cranberry connector project, which will link the
Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 79.
The road project "just adds to an already favorable situation," Winkle says,
noting the Route 228 improvements in 1998 and 1999 and the new ramps from I-79
to Route 228.
He expects the connector will bring in more restaurants and retail
stores
In addition, Winkle says the Marriott should bring in more businesses to
Cranberry Woods.
"I think that's going to be a great compliment to the park," he says.
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