Sign up for one of our email newsletters.
Updated 21 minutes ago
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto's office on Tuesday threatened court action against a company redeveloping a rent-controlled East Liberty apartment complex because of residents' complaints about malfunctioning furnaces and possible asbestos exposure.
Kevin Acklin, Peduto's chief of staff, said the city would seek a court injunction if Pennley Park South fails to respond to complaints made by residents of Penn Plaza on Penn Avenue. Representatives from at least 10 community groups and several Penn Plaza residents met Tuesday at the City-County Building, Downtown, to protest conditions at the apartment complex.
“I think at this point in time we're ready to go to war,” Acklin told the group.
Downtown attorney Jonathan Kamin, who represents Pennley Park, said inspectors from the city and Allegheny County Health Department visited the building unannounced last week and found no violations.
“We have taken our obligations very seriously and have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars maintaining the property,” he said. “We have responded to every call for service. We still have two onsite personnel living in that building to make sure it is attended to.”
Pennley Park and the city have been battling since January when the Pittsburgh Planning Commission unanimously rejected the company's plans for a mixed development on the site. The company estimates the project, which includes a Whole Foods grocery, offices and about 400 apartments, will cost up to $150 million.
Pennley Park sued the city seeking to overturn the commission's decision. Pittsburgh responded by alleging the company violated a city ordinance when it cut down 10 trees on the property and issued a fine totaling $42,000. Kamin said the company intends to appeal the fine.
Pennley Park, a subsidiary of Downtown-based LG Realty Advisors Inc., has owned Penn Plaza since 1966. So far it has demolished one of two buildings, and residents said it appears contractors are starting demolition on the second.
Twenty-four residents remain in the building, Acklin said.
“They're tearing out the toilets and cabinets and stoves. They're coming in with trucks,” said Mabel Duffy, 78, a resident.
She said workers are ripping out floor and ceiling tiles that could contain asbestos, and the building had no heat several weeks ago.
“We were freezing,” Duffy said. “We were all sitting in the apartments wrapped up like Eskimos until they came in and brought us (space) heaters. It actually helped.”
The company in 2015 agreed to subsidize the relocation of about 200 residents then living in the building. Kamin has estimated the relocation cost about $400,000.
Pennley Park also agreed to proceeded with construction in phases. The company plans to raze the second building this year.
Residents have until March 31 to move.
Acklin said the agreement requires Pennley Park to maintain the building until residents move out. He said it appears the company is violating the agreement. If that proves true, he said, the city would ask a judge to enforce the pact.
“If we don't have an answer by the end of the day, we have a complaint,” Acklin said. “We're going to court.”
Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
