Crumbling building forces nearby bank to close

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MONESSEN, Pa. — A crumbling building is stopping people in Monessen from getting their money.

The bank had to close because crumbling pieces of the building next door are putting people at risk.

Customers are frustrated when they pull up to the bank and find it closed.

But the city doesn't want to risk anyone getting hit by falling bricks.

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"Sunday morning, whenever I came to the office, I looked and there it was. It had caved in," said Mayor Lou Mavrakis. He told Channel 11 flooding over the weekend caused the vacant building along Donner Avenue to partially collapse onto neighboring Citizen's Bank.

"We're in the process of working with our solicitors to try to get emergency money to demo it," Mavrakis said.

There are safety deposit boxes inside the bank that customers now can't even get to.

Directly behind the temporarily closed bank and collapsed building is the Douglas Education Center.

CEO Jeff Imbrescia tells Channel 11 it's affecting business, but his biggest concern is the safety of his students and staff who use the alleyway to get to and from classes on a daily basis.

"I have classes right in here. I have props class. My film program's right there. Airbrush right down there," Imbrescia said.

Meanwhile, the city is working swiftly to get the necessary funds to knock down this bank and rebuild.

"We really feel bad that we've fallen on this kind of hard times and hopefully we'll get them this crisis," Mavrakis said.

The city is trying to get in touch with the owners of the collapsed building, which is taking longer than usual because they are out-of-state.