Jeannette residents want abandoned building burned in fire training exercise torn down
JEANETTE, Pa. (KDKA) - Last summer, an abandoned hospital building in Jeannette was set on fire as part of a firefighting training exercise. Since then, neighbors say the burned-out and partially destroyed building is now a danger and an eyesore.
Burned out and partially demolished, the one-time Jeannette hospital medical offices got this way after the property's developer donated the two-story brick building to the city of Jeannette for firefighting training.
According to the city, the developer was supposed to raze and reclaim the property afterward but financial difficulties kept that from happening. Nearly a year later, the rubble remains and homeowners want it cleared immediately.
"It's atrocious. I really think they need to do something with it before someone gets hurt," said homeowner Kathy Hickle.
According to Ethan Keedy, Jeannette's chief fiscal officer, the eyesore's days are numbered.
"We'll have all the properties demoed, cleared out, cleaned, back-filled and grass planted," said Keedy.
Keedy said they've added the potentially dangerous and derelict structure to a list of buildings due to be demolished.
"It's in the current phase of the environmental review," said Keedy.
And if all goes as expected, this will be just an ugly memory sooner rather than later.
"We are listening and we hope to have a solution by the end of this year," Keedy said.
Although its cost has yet to be determined, Keedy says community development block grants will pay for the demolition.
