PHOTO BY JHVEPHOTO – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

The “Please Bring Wegmans to Pittsburgh” group on Facebook boasts more than 300 members passionately dedicated to bringing the popular Rochester, New York-grocery chain to the Steel City.

They, and many others, are about to get their wish.

“Hello, Pittsburgh!” read a post on the Wegmans Facebook page accompanied by a black-and-gold themed video announcing the news. “So many of you have asked, and we listened. We’re so excited to officially share that we’re coming to town!”

Although the chain has 111 stores located along the East Coast, with 19 in Pennsylvania — including two locations in Erie — this will be the first Wegmans Food Market in the Pittsburgh region.

The 115,000-square-foot store is slated to be constructed on 13 acres adjacent to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Cool Springs Drive in Cranberry.

Owned by developer Gary Sippel, the 100-acre Cranberry Springs development also is home to a TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel, restaurants such as Burgatory and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and several retail plazas.

“We’ve received thousands of requests for a Wegmans in the Pittsburgh region since opening our first Pennsylvania store over 30 years ago,” said Dan Aken, Wegmans vice president of real estate and store planning in a statement. “We’re excited to have finally found the right location to bring Wegmans to the Pittsburgh area.”

Known for its wide selection of high-quality, fresh products, including organic and locally sourced items, Wegmans also has its own brand of generic products that are typically less expensive than mainstream brands.

A timetable for the construction, as well as an opening date, have not been announced. The store is expected to employ 400 to 500 people, most of them local hires, the Wegmans announcement said.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wegmans has been considering a store at the Cranberry site for at least the last year. It also was said to be looking at options in South Fayette Township.