Vandergrift officials won't let damaged roof in business district be ignored

Vandergrift officials are going after the owner of a building with a prime location on Grant Avenue for failing to fix its partly collapsed roof.

Council voted Monday to pursue a nuisance complaint in Westmoreland County Court, which could result in the borough completing the repairs itself and billing the owner.

The block of storefronts is owned by Nancy Curran, according to Westmoreland County real estate records. It encompasses 119, 121 and 125 Grant Ave.

Great Wall, a Chinese restaurant, occupies the middle storefront. The other two apparently aren’t used, despite being located along the town’s main business corridor.

The dilapidated section of roof belongs to an addition on the back of the building.

Curran could not be reached for comment.

Officials hope legal action in conjunction with a request for a meeting with Curran will get her to make repairs. They claim she has done little to address the damage since it happened last July, other than to cover the roof with a tarp and stack bricks that periodically fall from the building.

Solicitor Shea Kraft declined to comment on the planned nuisance complaint, since it is a “litigation issue for the borough.” He did say, however, Vandergrift “is exploring all options regarding bringing the property owner into compliance and to ensure that necessary repairs are made to make the property safe.”

Officials fear the building, without repairs, will eventually need to be demolished.

“It would devastate our business district,” said Council President Tom Holmes.

Lucien Bove, the borough’s engineer, estimated that tearing down the building would cost around $125,000. He declined to say, without further inspecting the building, what repairs might cost.

The building is next to a gravel lot where Vi’s Bar once stood. Curran’s property began to deteriorate once the bar was torn down, exposing one of its sides to the elements, according to Councilman Bryan Young, who was a borough code inspector from 2018 to 2024.