Owner of Century III Mall fails to make $150K payments for code violation fines
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) -- West Mifflin leadership told KDKA more legal action is coming against the owners of the old Century 3 Mall, who failed to pay more than $150,000 in fines imposed for multiple code violations.
Borough Manager Brian Kamauf, like his counterparts and much of the community, is tired, over the time it has taken to figure out the future of the mall.
"At this point, we want an end to this," Kamauf said. "It's been a very frustrating process."
It's a process that continues on two fronts and comes after more than 170 first responder calls for trespassing, vandalism, and destruction since it closed in 2019.
Moonbeam Capital was ordered to pay the fines in October and had 60 days to do so or to appeal them.
The deadline passed and the company did neither. They are penalties that were decreased from $240,000 for three code violations of unsafe structures, sanitation problems and rampant weed growth on the property.
Kamauf said it's now up to the borough to take the next step.
"It's going to be some kind of legal action to try to collect the fine or even implore them to do something at the property," Kamauf said. "We'd either have to collect the fine or just impose you know, a lien on the property or certain things."
He expects they'll act sometime next week.
At the same time, they're also still dealing with condemnation, after the council voted in the summer that the building needs to come down. It could cost around $10 to 15 million. Councilman Dan Davis said the borough filed briefings on Dec. 23, 2023, after Moonbeam appealed.
"Now it's in the judge's hands to review the information and make a determination on the condemnation," Davis said.
The timeframe for a decision on this is unclear, but Davis said the condemnation case is strong because any other legal battle Moonbeam faced usually had to do with back taxes.
He also feels the two cases help each other.
"Here's a situation where they're not paying a fine. That is part of the reason why the building is being condemned because it's in code violation," Davis said.
While it may be difficult, Davis wants folks to realize this isn't a short process, and to remain patient.
"We are really proactive on this and we are moving forward that you know, more than they realize," Davis said.
KDKA reached out to the attorneys for Moonbeam for comment but has not heard back at this time.
