Public safety at odds with historic preservation in Charleroi
CHARLEROI — A nonprofit foundation put together by the borough could be the answer to Charleroi’s ongoing legal issues with the Charleroi Area Historical Society.
Borough council discussed the proposal at length during its agenda meeting Thursday, then decided that it needs more information before being able to vote on the creation of the Charleroi Borough Historic Foundation. According to Councilman Larry Celaschi, the foundation was proposed as part of the borough’s Historic Preservation Plan. It would become the borough’s go-to agency any time demolition or development projects were proposed in the downtown area which has been designated as a National Historic district.
“There are buildings out there worth saving, but there are others that aren’t. The historical society doesn’t get it,” Celaschi said.
After being contacted by the Charleroi Historical Society, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission recently requested that the Washington County Redevelopment Authority provide documentation that renovation has been considered for the Atlas Building as an alternative to demolition. The building was scheduled to be razed using Community Development Block Grant funds and has been ordered demolished by the borough’s code enforcement officer because of hazardous conditions. The redevelopment authority is in the process of having engineering studies done regarding the viability of renovating the building.
“There’s a reason why the Atlas Building has a fence around it,” Celaschi said. “They are holding up development in the town.”
It was noted that the borough also needs to look into whether Washington County Common Pleas Court has approved the transfer of the property from the Charleroi Area School District to the Mon Valley Alliance as part of a land swap that would provide commercial land for development in the borough.
“If the judge does not sign off on that, and Atlas and the stadium remain with the school district instead of with the Mon Valley Alliance, we’re not going to pay for the demolition,” said Council President Paul Pivovarnik.
Demolition of the Coyle Theater, which is currently owned by the Mon Valley Alliance, also remains in limbo. The historical society recently filed its third amended complaint opposing the demolition. According to the Mon Valley Alliance’s attorney, Todd Pappasergi, nothing can be done until the legal matters are resolved.
“There’s no update until they stop filing amended complaints or we get a judge to tell them to stop filing amended complaints,” Pappasergi said.