Penn Fixture & Supply in the works for Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill

PITTSBURGH — Ken Zeff is preparing to move his Penn Fixture & Supply, a store that he co-owns, to Squirrel Hill.

Zeff said that his company, which currently operates in the Strip District, is in the process of getting approvals to open a store and office of more than 11,700 square feet incorporating an 8,000-square-foot former dry cleaning business at 5850 Forward Ave. with the neighboring former magistrate’s office. The project is set to go in front of the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment on Jan. 16

It’s a relatively large retail footprint for the commercial district of Squirrel Hill, a long-established urban neighborhood built before the era of suburban chain retail that’s typically been in relatively strong demand by local shops and restaurants.