Norwin grads 'reimagine Monroeville Mall' as more environmentally friendly
Three 2021 Norwin High School graduates were recognized for their ideas to make the Monroeville Mall more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Their suggestions include adding a farmers market, planting more landscape to reduce stormwater runoff, creating a recreational park and adding solar panels at the 169-acre mall.
Keara Finnigan, Brendan Ash and Nick Markovina were the first-, second- and third-place winners, respectively, in the recent EcoMall contest sponsored by the Reimagine Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities. Reimagine Turtle Creek Watershed is a multi-organizational initiative to protect the interconnected water and airsheds that encompass about 32 communities in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
Their winning essays came with cash awards: Finnigan received $500, Ash $350 and Markovina $150.
Students from Gateway, Franklin Regional and Norwin school districts and Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts High School submitted about a dozen essays on how the mall could become more sustainable and environmentally friendly and inclusive of youth, said Annie Deely, community organizer for Reimagine Turtle Creek Watershed.
“We recognize that the mall is a big asset for the Monroeville community, and we want it to continue to be,” Deely said.
Finnigan, who works at a store in the mall, proposed permitting a farmers market that would allow farmers to sell produce from stalls or to occupy a vacant storefront. She also proposed landscaping to create a water garden and rooftop garden.
Markovina proposed creating a rain garden with native plants in the parking lot and roof, as well as installing solar panels to deflect and absorb heat. He also proposed dedicating space to small businesses and creating a youth internship program.
Ash proposed converting the 169-acre site into a recreational park that would attract people and open opportunities for small businesses.
The students could not be reached for comment.
The students had written the essays for Norwin High School teacher Joyce Muchoney’s AP environmental sciences class. Muchoney said she encouraged students to submit the essays.
“It integrated a lot of the issues we were studying in class,” such as stormwater management and energy, Muchoney said.
The EcoMall contest, which was open to high school students in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, received 11 entries, Deely said. The winners were judged by a Gateway teacher and school board members and University of Pittsburgh urban studies professors and a community organizer from Braddock, on the the basis of the proposals’ economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social justice, Deely said.
They studied proposals for a mall whose image the past five years has suffered because of shootings on mall property, including a fatal shooting last year. CBL Properties filed for bankruptcy in November, as malls were facing pandemic-related restrictions that limited store operations and customers turned to online shopping to avoid interactions. The company, which owns both Monroeville Mall and Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, is undergoing restructuring but stated in March it does not intend to close its malls.
Reimagine Turtle Creek Watershed has tried to contact CBL Properties but has not received a response, Deely said.
Stacey Keating, a spokeswoman for CBL Properties, could not be reached for comment.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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