After 20 years worshipping in a space at the Pittsburgh Mills mall, the Rev. Michael Evans of Riverside Community Church said church officials are searching for a new home in Cheswick or Springdale.
The church, affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, has long held services in locations within the Mills, but Evans said that’s become tougher as foot traffic at the mall has dwindled and conditions have worsened.
“The environment has been a bit of a challenge,” he said.
Evans said the church located its ministry in the primarily commercial area as a way to place the church in public view, but he thinks that’s now a more viable option on the other side of Route 28.
That’s because the main thoroughfare of the area, Pittsburgh Street, sees heavy vehicle traffic, and many of Riverside’s parishioners already come from Cheswick and Springdale.
“We want to be where the people are,” Evans said.
Though Riverside’s lease doesn’t end until June 2028, he said he’s already inquired about more than three dozen locations thoroughout the region, including several in Cheswick and Springdale.
Last month, the church was granted a minor parking variance by Cheswick Council for the site of a former Ace Hardware across Pittsburgh Street from Sheetz.
At this point, however, Evans said it’s still not confirmed whether the church would ultimately end up there.
Riverside operates a second campus across the Allegheny River in Oakmont along Allegheny Avenue.
Wherever the church finds itself in a few years time, Evans said it will work to benefit the surrounding area.
“We really are for the communities we place ourselves in,” Evans said.