Feb 16, 2022 3 min read

MONESSEN – Mayor Ron Mozer has declared an emergency for the collapsing building at 500 Donner Ave.

The building was one of four approved for demolition when council met Feb. 10. Bricks began to fall from the structure the previous day, resulting in the closure of Fifth Street.

Mozer said the situation has become more dangerous, prompting the emergency declaration.

“This problem left untended, I seriously believe, is going to kill somebody,” Mozer said.

A major issue facing the city is finances. With that in mind, Mozer is working to get funding from the county, state or federal government to address the problem.

“This city is strapped,” Mozer said. “We’re having trouble making payroll. We’re in trouble. We’re getting hit from every possible angle. But we cannot allow somebody to get killed by neglect. That’s just not one of the options that we have.”

He wants the problem rectified as soon as possible.

“When I say that, I mean within a week or so,” Mozer said. “I have contractors that are willing to come in and bring it to the ground and get paid in a couple of months when we get our real estate taxes in.”

Funding would have to be secured to pay for the area to be cleaned. Once the building is demolished, the resulting debris can’t sit for long because possible asbestos in the building could result in hefty fines from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

A special meeting of council has been called for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to deal with the emergency demolition of the Donner Avenue structure.

The building has been the subject of discussion for many years.

Built in the early 1900s to house Monessen Savings and Trust, the structure has also housed a grocery store and last served as a Health Mart Discount Center. It has been vacant since the 1980s and in decay for some time.

Before he was elected to his post, former mayor Matthew Shorraw looked to buy the building and convert it into a music center that would include small, neighborhood retail.

He has said in the past that the building is an important part of the city and worthy of being saved. When he was mayor, Shorraw said saving the building would be less expensive, saying it would cost $800,000 to demolish the building.

Mozer said Tuesday he has received bids ranging from $78,000 to $400,000 for the demolition.

In February 2017, Shorraw spearheaded a “heart-bombing” event in which a number of people gathered at the Greater Monessen Historical Society to show their love for the building. A few months later, council voted to sell the building to On Site Rep of Pittsburgh under an agreement that called for its demolition within two months. That deal fell through.

There also was a deal in June 2017 to sell the building to the redevelopment authority for $1, but that also did not occur and the building is owned by the city.

Preservation groups have fought to save the building, stating it was an ideal candidate for rehabilitation.

The structure was one of 10 selected by the Pittsburgh Young Preservationists Association on which it wants to focus efforts in 2022, as well as the old Fifth Street Hotel, which was also approved for demolition at the Feb. 10 meeting.