Feb 14, 2022 3 min read

MONESSEN – Monessen council voted unanimously last week to demolish four buildings, including two recently chosen as structures on which the Pittsburgh Young Preservationists Association wanted to focus its efforts.

The motion approved Thursday authorizes WEC Engineers Inc. to prepare condemnation reports for 112 Fifth St. and a lot between 124 Fifth (The Fifth Avenue Hotel) and 469 Schoonmaker Ave. The motion also authorizes those two structures, as well as 124 Fifth St. and 500 Donner Ave., for demolition.

Mayor Ron Moser said some bricks had fallen off the building at 500 Donner on Wednesday.

“Bricks were all over the road,” he said. “We’re quite lucky nobody was driving down the road at that time. That building became a serious problem.”

With that in mind, Moser decided to close Fifth Street. However, he said the road can’t be closed for a long period of time, so something needs to be done. He and the city engineer met with a representative of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority Thursday.

“He agrees this building is a disaster waiting to happen, and we’re lucky that no one got hurt or killed from debris falling from the roof of this building,” Moser said. “It also became apparent to me that he had previously worked with the recorder of deeds office to get the Fifth Street Hotel in the judicial system and as such, the Westmoreland County Land Bank would take over ownership of the hotel. The only purpose of doing that is so they can demolish the Fifth Street Hotel. Not only are they interested in helping us with the 500 Donner (Ave.) building, but they’re interested in demolishing the old Fifth Street Hotel, which is dumping bricks on Schoonmaker.”

Moser added that state Sen. Pat Stefano is in the process of releasing a $300,000 grant originally intended for stabilization of the building at 500 Donner. Moser said that money can be used for demolition.

Councilman Donald Gregor said he understands the building at 500 Donner has to come down.

“However, it’s a shame because two years ago, we had someone who was interested in that building and someone in the city of Monessen told him to get out of town,” Gregor said. “If that guy had taken over the building, we wouldn’t have had this situation.”

The former Monessen Savings and Trust Bank building at 500 Donner and the Fifth Avenue Hotel were two of 10 structures selected by the Young Preservationists Association to focus its efforts for 2022.

When the announcement of the list was made in December, Moser said restoration of those buildings wasn’t practical since they had been neglected for so long and were unsafe.

The former Monessen Savings and Trust Bank, built in 1905, has been vacant for more than 20 years.

The Fifth Avenue Hotel in Monessen is the city’s oldest commercial structure. Completed in 1900, the building has been vacant since the 1990s.

Also Thursday, council unanimously approved an amended budget for 2022. The spending plan lists revenues at $5,833,528 and expenditures at $5,643,014. Millage will remain at 43.11 mills, meaning no tax increase.

In January, the new council approved last year’s budget to be able to spend money until a new spending plan could be approved. A budget was not approved by Dec. 31 since it had not been advertised by a date that would have allowed the public to have ample time to review it.

According to state law, the city has until Feb. 15 to amend or correct the spending plan.