Pittsburgh officials explain why condemned building wasn't demolished before partial collapse
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The City of Pittsburgh is sharing new information about the partial collapse of an Uptown building, which damaged a next-door Italian market, forcing its condemnation.
KDKA-TV has been asking the city each day since the collapse at 1520 Fifth Avenue to share details about the now-underway emergency demolition, and why officials hadn't demolished the building previously.
A city spokesperson tells KDKA-TV that the owners of Merante Market are not at fault in the collapse of the neighboring structure, and the city does not believe any fines will be levied against them.
Marco Merante shared with KDKA-TV on Monday the letter they received, saying they could face fines of up to $1,000 a day, per violation.
A city spokesperson said that is a standard letter they send.
City leaders were also asked why the building wasn't demolished earlier, considering it had been condemned for years.
The city spokesperson said they cannot demolish buildings that the city does not own without going through a legal process.
They added that they are now evaluating if the building at 1516 Fifth Avenue must come down as well.
A week after the collapse, an excavator sits still, multiple walls of 1520 remain up, and the Merante Italian Market remains condemned.
"Where's the city when you need them," said owner Marco Merante. "We're kind of in a state of limbo, waiting on the city; as you can see, they have slacked their feet through everything they've done."
Merante says they were told they can't even begin work to repair the massive hole in their roof until city contractors finish their emergency demolition work next door.
"It's insane [that] we have to wait on other people's negligence to open our building," Merante said. "It's our business. It's our livelihood."
Those demolition crews were on the site Saturday, but left the job unfinished, and haven't been back since, he said.
"It seems like they decorated more than they put in work," he said, referring to the small Irish flags and related items that hung at the back of the work site.
His anger only grew when he received letters from city inspectors on Wednesday. It says they aren't legally obligated to maintain privately owned property, and any damage caused by the collapse is a civil matter between them and their neighbors, not the city.
"They're not helping. They are not going to help. They told us they aren't going to help, so what's the point," Merante said.
One of the letters also said more than 200 of the city's condemned buildings are rated to be structurally compromised or dangerous. Some of the buildings are "imminently dangerous."
The letter said the city only has a budget to tear down 110 to 120 of those buildings this year.
"It's crazy," Merante said. "I don't get it. You guys can't get appropriate funding to demo buildings possibly falling and killing people, but you can write red-light operation initiatives."
He said they also tried reaching out to the mayor's office for help, but they haven't received a response.
"Where is the city? Where is the mayor? Who runs the city? Hello, is anyone home? No, it doesn't seem like it," Merante said.
A city spokesperson told KDKA-TV prior to Merante's latest comments that there have been active communication efforts between the city and the market's owners.
Marente said that isn't the case, adding the city needs to get back to work to finish the demolition before his family loses everything.