Blight remediation blitz set for homes, businesses in Westmoreland County
JEANETTE, Pa. (KDKA) - The city of Jeannette and Westmoreland County officials recently said they're about to start a blight remediation blitz. One of the targets is a massive old brewery. And there are other buildings in the bullseye of the massive wrecking ball.
The demolition crews are set to start knocking down buildings in the next few weeks. Some may take a day or two others will take months to take down.
730 Sellers Avenue and the house next door are as ugly as they come when it comes to blight.
"It's been terrible because we see animals and things in there, watching raccoons crawl in and out of the house it's been awful," said Sandy Pirlo, a local homeowner.
Pirlo gets a look at both homes each time she looks out the door.
"We put a lot of money into our property we know it's affecting our property value," Pirlo said.
According to the city of Jeannette, these two homes are on the initial list to be laid waste thanks to $62,000 in community development block grants.
"Right now we have six properties that are going to be demolished, including five homes," Ethan Keedy said. Keedy is the CFO for the city of Jeannette. "We are hoping to go street by street block by block to clean up and try to make this community great again."
The sixth property is a burnout medical center recently used for firefighter training. It's just one of many on a long list of candidates to be bulldozed.
"The fire chief is working on a list of properties that need to be demolished and he's well over 140 so far," Keedy added.
And then there's the old Victor Brewery, built in 1907, falling apart in 2022.
"A tree was growing out of the roof, water is flooding the basement, windows are busted in, and bricks are falling."
The cost to make erase this building?
"We came in at $1.5 million," according to Keedy's estimations. That's where the county comes in.
"The county is going to go in and take ownership of that property and demo that property for the city of Jeannette."
The old brewery demolition is pending but will happen. As for the five homes and the burnt-out hospital?
"Tomorrow would be great," Pirlo said with a laugh.
The clock is ticking.
"Within 60 days of the contractor signing the agreements which should be sometime this week, they have 60 days to finish all demolition of our properties, which is six properties.
What will be done with the property when it is prepared for development? What the city, county, and residents don't what to see is the same fate here as that of the old Monsour Hospital--an empty plot of land with nothing but grass.