Uniontown Mall has addressed code violations, township says
Owners at the Uniontown Mall have brought it back into “at least minimal compliance” with South Union Township code, the township’s attorney said at a court hearing Thursday.
Fayette County Court of Common Pleas Judge Linda Cordaro, along with representatives from the mall and South Union Township, visited the site on Sept. 30 to evaluate the state of repairs she had ordered in May.
“Just the fact that the court scheduled it incentivized the plaintiff to come into compliance,” South Union’s attorney James Davis told Cordaro at Thursday’s hearing.
The township sued mall owners Namdar Realty in November after issuing more than 100 citations for safety hazards at the mall, including deteriorating parking areas, locked or obstructed emergency doors, and rodent infestations.
Davis said he didn’t expect the township to pursue any further actions, but asked Cordaro to hold the case open.
Cordaro scheduled a follow-up hearing for April, which she said would provide enough time to judge if the improvements held up over the winter.
Joseph Palmquist, attorney for Namdar, said “our side is amenable” to the follow-up hearing.
If everything is satisfactory in April, Cordaro said, “I would like the case closed.”
Davis said after the hearing the township would continue to inspect the property over the next few months to ensure it continues to follow code, as it does with other properties.
A drainage issue in an area near the back of the mall, which is temporarily being secured by a metal plate, still needs a permanent fix, Davis said. Other issues brought up have been repaired.
“The question is, are they going to hold up?” he said. “And we’re optimistic that they will. But we need to take a wait-and-see approach.”
Cordaro thanked both sides for their cooperation on finding a resolution.
“Everyone really put a lot of work into this, but it was important to do, and I hope things keep going in the right direction,” she said.