Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala files charges against owners of Pittsburgh Mills, "We'll get to the bottom of that."
Allegheny County Stephen Zappala has now filed criminal charges against the owners of the Pittsburgh Mill Mall, saying that the money collected in maintenance fees is not being used.
He has one, simple question: where is the money?
The pothole-riddled roads have not only caused flat tires and damaged wheel rims, but they've also created longer response times for emergency vehicles.
"It's like a bomb site," one driver told KDKA. "I've never seen potholes so big, it's terrible."
The road conditions at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall have been under scrutiny for months, and the mammoth-sized holes have made traversing around the property nearly impossible, making it a public nuisance.
"The emergency guys really have problems responding," Zappala said. "Say somebody has a heart attack or something, time is of the essence."
Zappala filed criminal charges against Namdar Realty Group, saying they have done the bare minimum to fix the problem. Last week, they paid a patch management company to repair some of the holes with hot asphalt spray.
While those crews spent four days patching, only 100 potholes were filled, which, if you've been to the Mills recently, you know that didn't even scratch the surface.
"The Mills collects a lot of money to maintain that property, I want to know where that money's at," Zappala said. "There's an allocation for maintenance, there's an allocation, but it's not being used for maintenance. We'll get to the bottom of that, too."
According to the criminal complaint, the Frazer Township Police Department has taken close to 40 reports about the deteriorating road conditions. Of those incidents reported, there have been 30 flat tires, nine damaged rims, and seven tows.
Drivers are encouraged, though, saying they're hoping the criminal charges filed will be the spark that is needed.
However, Zappala said the investigation is far from over.
