Barnes & Noble coming to The Meridian in East Liberty

A new Barnes & Noble location is set to open in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood as part of The Meridian development.

Stacy Short, vice president of leasing at ECHO Realty, which is developing The Meridian, said construction is underway with a predicted opening in late summer of 2025 for most, if not all, of the retailers.

Bookstores can provide locals with a mental break, Short said. She believes there’s still a market for people who want to buy physical books.

“They want to meet in a social setting like a bookstore,” she said. “I find that they’re nostalgic, but also, they bring new life.”

Katie Edmundowicz visits East Liberty when she attends Bakery Square Book Club or shops at Trader Joe’s on Penn Avenue. She said she will definitely check out the new Barnes & Noble when it opens at the corner of Shady and Penn avenues.

“I think it’ll be exciting for the area to have a Barnes & Noble,” said Edmundowicz, 28, of Oakland. “I always love a good bookstore opening.”

The Meridian will include a 36,000-square-foot Market District by Giant Eagle and an additional 38,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and other services on the ground level, according to its website.

A second Shake Shack location will open there as well, and other retail space is still available for lease.

Edmundowicz, who works for the University of Pittsburgh in fundraising and alumni relations, said she believes reading is important and provides stress relief.

“I think it’s just so fun to be able to dive into stories,” she said. “I just think it’s a fun way to stimulate the mind and have fun with a hobby.”

Short said ECHO Realty also just signed Sushi Atarashi, a restaurant, and Wushiland Boba, a boba tea house. ECHO Realty is in discussion with several other retailers as well, she said.

The Meridian structure will also house 231 apartments on floors two through six, which will be available for lease through Greystar. Short said the apartments will be available for occupancy in early 2026.

“I think there’s a lot of excitement around that intersection right now,” Short said of The Meridian’s location.

In May, Walnut Capital Management announced that four new tech companies would be opening their doors along a 1-mile stretch of more than 20 other AI companies, such as Google and Sheetz Innovation, on Penn Avenue between the Duolingo building and Bakery Square. It’s called “AI Avenue.”

“We get to be a part of what they already have in place,” Short said, referencing The Meridian’s prime place along the corridor.