Valley News Dispatch

Threat of building collapse forces partial closure of Longfellow Street in Vandergrift

Joyce Hanz
By Joyce Hanz
1 Min Read Feb. 2, 2022 | 4 years Ago
Go Ad-Free today

Portions of Longfellow Street in Vandergrift were closed for a time Wednesday afternoon after demolition crews evacuated a condemned building.

Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 Chief Albert Wells confirmed there were no injuries.

Borough officials roped off the building at 326 Longfellow St. and said it’s unsafe for the public.

A portion of the building’s roof crumbled and fell onto the sidewalk around 1:30 p.m.

“I’m worried with the rain, snow and weather coming that the weight could take more of the building down,” Wells said.

Wells said the vacant building has been condemned for several years. It formerly housed a hair salon with apartments upstairs.

He said it is slated for demolition.

The chief said neighboring buildings are not in structural danger.

Wells said crews from Rittmeyer and Sons of Connellsville showed up around 3 p.m. to assess the damages and continue tearing down the building.

Wells said contractors are expected to continue demolition Thursday.

Longfellow Street was expected to reopen by 5 p.m.

Share

Tags:

About the Writers

Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com

Push Notifications

Get news alerts first, right in your browser.

Enable Notifications

Content you may have missed

Enjoy TribLIVE, Uninterrupted.

Support our journalism and get an ad-free experience on all your devices.

  • TribLIVE AdFree Monthly

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Pay just $4.99 for your first month
  • TribLIVE AdFree Annually BEST VALUE

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Billed annually, $49.99 for the first year
    • Save 50% on your first year
Get Ad-Free Access Now View other subscription options