Jul 14, 2017 3 min read

The first phase of demolition on the Washington apartment building that partially collapsed Wednesday will be handled carefully and methodically, like a surgical procedure, according to Washington Mayor Scott Putnam.

“There’s not going to be heavy demolition. It’s all hand work. If we used a wrecking ball, (the building) would likely fall on the roof of the adjacent building,” said Putnam. “This is more of a surgical demolition, to keep employees safe and neighboring buildings safe.”

A resident of the building, Megan Angelone, 38, was freed more than nine hours after a rear section of the brick structure at 15 N. Main St. collapsed, pinning her beneath a refrigerator and two floors worth of debris.

Matthew Angelone, her brother, told the Associated Press Megan Angelone had surgery at UPMC-Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh. Angelone’s condition couldn’t immediately be determined.

While crews were working to rescue her Wednesday, city officials secured an emergency order for immediate demolition from Washington County President Judge Katherine Emery, but crews have not been able to get started because of the instability of the building.

Allegheny Crane Rental was hired for the first phase of demolition. Putnam said the plan is to secure the building, then regroup.

“We need the crane for emergency demolition, to keep Main Street and the adjoining buildings safe,” he said. “We’ll get it stable, to where it’s not going to fall on the street, then stop and rebid.”

Because some of the cost will probably be funded by Community Development Block Grant funds, distributed by the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County, the city has to comply with guidelines, including a bid process.

The city is exploring several avenues to fund the demolition and have contacted local lawmakers to look for assistance.

Putnam estimates the first phase of the project could last a week-and-a-half to three weeks. He said the city expected to secure an agreement with the adjacent property owners of 3 N. Main St. and 19 N. Main St. by the end of the day Friday to begin work. A test for asbestos was conducted Friday morning.

Mark J. and Melissa Russo, who own the collapsed building, are scheduled to appear before District Judge Robert Redlinger Tuesday over a citation filed by city code enforcement officer Ron McIntyre in March.

The citation alleges the Russos failed to replace a failing wall, which he described as “cracked, not structurally sound.”

Mark Russo has denied that the building was not in compliance with city ordinances.

In response to residents asking for the brick facade of the historic building to be saved, Putnam said, “If we can do it without a huge cost and maintain safety, we’re going to try.”

North Main Street, from Beau Street to Chestnut Street, remains closed to traffic, and the sidewalk in front of the partially collapsed structure is closed to pedestrians. As a result, the 13th Annual Classics on Main Street car cruise scheduled for Sunday was canceled.