Century III Mall Condemned

[TheFugitive]

Last night the West Mifflin, PA borough council voted unanimously to condemn the closed Century III Mall.

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2023/07/18/century-iii-mall-demolition-west-mifflin-council-vote-condemn/stories/202307180141

This brings things to a head in a tumultuous year which has seen a fire inside the mall, a teenage trespasser seriously injured when he fell through the roof, the prosecution of urban explorers shooting YouTube video inside the mall, and over $300,000 in fines being issued to the mall's absentee owner, Moonbeam Capital Partners, for assorted code violations.

While the vote clears the way for demolition the problem now is that the estimated cost to tear down the mall exceeds $10 million.  West Mifflin doesn't have that so the search for state or federal funding to make this happen will now begin.

Moonbeam is expected to fight the condemnation in court which will add to the delay and the expense.

[BillyGr]

Last night the West Mifflin, PA borough council voted unanimously to condemn the closed Century III Mall.

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2023/07/18/century-iii-mall-demolition-west-mifflin-council-vote-condemn/stories/202307180141

This brings things to a head in a tumultuous year which has seen a fire inside the mall, a teenage trespasser seriously injured when he fell through the roof, the prosecution of urban explorers shooting YouTube video inside the mall, and over $300,000 in fines being issued to the mall's absentee owner, Moonbeam Capital Partners, for assorted code violations.

While the vote clears the way for demolition the problem now is that the estimated cost to tear down the mall exceeds $10 million.  West Mifflin doesn't have that so the search for state or federal funding to make this happen will now begin.

Moonbeam is expected to fight the condemnation in court which will add to the delay and the expense.

If they were smart, they'd offer it to all the fire companies in the region to use for training - that would cut down on costs for demolition ;)

[TheFugitive]

That's not a bad idea.  When I lived in Michigan if there was a crack house operating in Detroit or Flint someplace and neither the police nor the city council could do anything it would just mysteriously burn to the ground one day.  Afterwards nobody in the neighborhood knew nothin'.

C-III is steel and masonry so I doubt it would actually burn though.

[TheFugitive]

And now a hole has opened in the roof in the vicinity of the fire.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hole-forms-in-roof-of-century-iii-mall-borough-suspects-aprils-fire/ar-AA1fDPsP

[jconsolmagno]

Such a shame, my favorite mall.

[Crazybangles]

Yet another story of yet another mall that can't be demolished because the property owner is fighting with the city to keep it. There has to be some sort of a reason behind them wanting to keep this building up...

[TheFugitive]

And ANOTHER urban-exploring YouTuber is being prosecuted for breaking into the mall to shoot video.  This one came all the way from Oklahoma.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/social-media-influencer-charged-with-trespassing-at-condemned-century-iii-mall/ar-AA1jfkrk

[TheFugitive]

A good article summarizing the history of Century III and its current state.

https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/what-happened-an-obituary-for-century-iii-mall/

[TheFugitive]

The owners of Century III Mall did not pay their fines so now the District Attorney is pursuing criminal charges against them.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/centruy-iii-mall-criminal-charges-filed-against-defunct-mall-owners

[TheFugitive]

A judge has given the owners of Century III Mall a final warning.

https://triblive.com/local/judge-gives-century-iii-mall-owners-until-next-month-to-prove-they-will-raze-the-property/

Moonbeam Capital Partners now has 30 days to show that they have a realistic plan for demolishing the mall.  If they cannot then local officials will move ahead with a plan to take control of the mall via eminent domain and demolish it with public funds.

One way or another it appears the long, sad story of Century III is drawing to a close.

[TheFugitive]

Seven more trespassers arrested at Century III.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/trespassing-arrests-abandoned-century-iii-mall/