Aug 13, 2014 1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – A “sheriff’s sale” notice now posted at the entrance of Pittsburgh’s debt-ridden August Wilson Center for African American Culture gives warning of what could be the center’s fate if no deal on a sale is reached before Oct. 6.

The center named for the late, black Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright opened in 2009 but never covered its construction costs, and then suffered from poor attendance and defaulted on its $7.9 million mortgage.

A judge has scheduled a Sept. 29 trial to determine whether deed covenants bar a sale to a New York developer who proposes adding a 10-story hotel.

The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority says that would violate deed covenants requiring the building be used exclusively as a black cultural center and barring changes to the exterior without the agency’s approval.