Jun 8, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

Washington County is using blight mitigation funds to demolish and remove the remnants of the building that collapsed on North Main Street in the city nearly seven years ago, which officials hope will eventually spur development on the site.

The county commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to spend up to $85,000 to clear the structure at 15 N. Main St. that has been considered an eyesore for years in Washington’s main business district.

The agreement between the county’s Redevelopment Authority and Upper Crust Gourmet Italian Deli LLC, which owns the property, will allow for the process to move forward to remove debris from the parcel in the heart of the city.

Mark Kennison, who owns the building through the LLC, along with the two properties on either side of it, said the demolition will allow him to develop the location since it will be a shovel-ready spot to build.

“Getting it cleared and ready to build is a much easier sell to developers,” Kennison said. “I’m just trying to find the right fit for downtown. It’s a prime spot.”

The three-story apartment building collapsed July 12, 2017, seriously injuring a woman and trapping her beneath rubble for nine hours before firefighters were able to free her. Kennison purchased the property in June 2019 after buying the neighboring buildings for his growing business ventures, and he soon erected a large wooden wall with a mural painted on the front to protect the public from debris.

He said the county must perform an engineering study on the building site before it can advertise for bids to have the remaining debris removed. He said the fire department erected structures inside the building to stabilize it, which would have to be removed.

“I’m kind of on their timeline,” Kennison said. “They seem to be moving along, and I’m in the loop with legal documents and agree with their plan.”

While some have suggested to Kennison that the parcel could become a parking lot, he would like to see something more robust in its spot, like a boutique hotel catering to out-of-town visitors coming to the city’s many street festivals and events.

“I would want it to service Downtown Washington more,” he said. ” We bring (people) into town, but it would be nice to keep them overnight.”

There is no timeline for the demolition or possible redevelopment of the site.

The commissioners also allocated $125,000 to the Mon Valley Alliance Foundation Blight Mitigation Program for various targets on that organization’s list. In addition, the commissioners also entered into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement and memorandum of understanding between the Washington County Land Bank and Fallowfield Township and Charleroi School District, and with Chartiers Township and the Chartiers-Houston School District.