Monessen’s mayor is pretty sure he’s lost a bet, but he couldn’t be happier about it.

Mayor Ron Mozer made a bet last month with Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank, to see whether the city or the county could be the fastest to demolish buildings they were responsible for — and dinner for two at Lucchesi’s Restaurant was on the line.

The county is responsible for bringing down the Fifth Street Hotel — which crews started working on Wednesday morning and had leveled by 2:30 p.m. — and the building at 123-129 Sixth St., the site of a former Valley Independent office. The county has told Mozer the crew intends to begin work on the old newspaper building this morning.

“This one came down in one day,” Mozer said. “They did a pretty fantastic job.”

Mozer had to wait to find out if the state’s Commonwealth Financing Authority would allow the city to redirect the money left over from the demolition of 500 Donner Ave. toward bringing down 544 Donner Ave. — the other building that needs to come

DEMOLITION • A2 FROM A1 down and is the city’s responsibility.

There is less than $85,000 left over from bringing the former Health Mart at 500 Donner Ave. down earlier this year.

The CFA intended to vote on it last month, but instead their meeting was postponed. Mozer got word Wednesday that the request has been approved so the city will move forward with engineering work and put the project out to bid as soon as possible.

Mozer joked that he’s not willing to concede he lost the bet until the newspaper building is also reduced to rubble, but he has a feeling he’s on the losing end.

The former Valley Independent office building on Sixth Street that began to collapse in on itself at the beginning of September and has been threatening the First Christian Church next door ever since. The congregation hasn’t been able to use its home in two months.

The owner, Guy Simpson, initially told the city he would demolish the structure, but he has since signed the rights to demolish it over to the county. A lien will be placed on the property, but Simpson can maintain ownership over the property if the taxes are brought up to date.

The building at 544 Donner Ave. has been vacant for many years, Mozer said, adding that it might have been 20 years since the last occupant left. Bricks are falling into the alley behind the building routinely, and Mozer said it looks as if the entire thing could come down if the wrong brick comes out next.