Work begins to raze shuttered Greensburg video store, clears way for downtown GetGo

Development of a GetGo gas station and convenience store in downtown Greensburg is moving forward as work has begun to demolish a vacant building at 531 S. Main St.

A subcontractor was on hand this week working to remove floor tiles and abate asbestos at the shuttered Family Video store.

The site is being prepared for construction, said Brandon Daniels, public relations manager for the Giant Eagle supermarket chain, which operates GetGo stores.

“We’re hopeful that our new GetGo Café + Market location will be open to serve guests this summer,” he said.

Plans for the GetGo site that were submitted to city officials in 2021 call for a store of about 5,500 square feet and 12 gas pumps.

A traffic study for the site recommended improvements to the adjacent intersection of South Main and Euclid Avenue for the safety of pedestrians. A turning lane on South Main also has been proposed.

The GetGo store will be constructed on the larger of two adjoining parcels at the site while city officials want to use a smaller area to install a “gateway” sign that will spell out the town’s name in large letters.

“We really need a sign down there to show off the community,” Greensburg planning director Jeff Raykes said. He said work remains to finalize a design that will be feasible with the $25,000 Giant Eagle has agreed to donate for the sign.

Nighttime illumination of the sign is one feature that might not fit into the project budget, Raykes said.

“We may have to do some fundraising for the sign,” he said. “We think this is a good investment for the city.”

The demise of the Greensburg Family Video store was part of a nationwide closure of all the video rental chain’s locations in 2021. Officials of the chain’s parent company, Highland Ventures, said factors in the closure included a decrease in foot traffic and lack of new movie releases following the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic.