Patience wearing thin as West Mifflin officials prepare to decide future of Century III Mall
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) — West Mifflin officials will soon decide the future of the old Century III Mall.
Borough officials will vote Wednesday to possibly condemn the mall.
"It's just dangerous, I think all the way around," West Mifflin resident Elaine Moder said Friday.
Her concerns over the mall go back to when it was still open. She has flashbacks of walking through the upper-level parking area with her niece.
"There was a big hole there and her little leg went in there," Moder said. "She could have lost her leg."
Ever since the mall closed, the situation has gotten worse. West Mifflin police will soon file charges against a teenage boy who fell about 20 feet through the roof of the old Macy's last Friday night. Sources tell KDKA-TV the boy is in critical condition with two broken vertebrae and a punctured lung.
The incident comes after police arrested three vandals in May and responded to an arson fire in April. While police have since put up barriers, incidents continue to happen.
"When I came into office three years ago, I worked with Mayor Chris Kelly of West Mifflin to try and solve this issue," state Rep. Nick Pisciottano said. "And back then it was an economic redevelopment issue. Now it's turned into a public safety matter."
Pisciottano said at this point, he does not believe anyone can salvage the building and any redevelopment would have to start with demolition. He, like local officials, claims Moonbeam is happy to let the building sit and decay.
In 2019, the borough determined the building to be out of compliance. Now, officials will likely declare it condemned during a vote Wednesday.
Pisciottano said Moonbeam could look for a developer, though the latest deal with Home improvement chain Menards fell through in February. Sources said Moonbeam wanted $35 million, not including the cost of demolition.
"The problem is the ownership who refuse to maintain the property, refuse to improve it and won't sell it for anything less than that king's ransom," Pisciottano said.
The mayor said he will be reviewing the situation with the district attorney to see what liability the borough has to hold Moonbeam accountable.
KDKA-TV reached out to Moonbeam but did not hear back.
