GLASSPORT, Pa. — A landlord who owns an apartment building in Glassport reached out to Channel 11 News Tuesday concerned about the safety of his tenants due to the condition of the structure next door.
Tenant Justin Henshawe said the building next to his apartment is crumbling brick-by-brick and that one nearly hit his 6-year-old niece on Sunday.
“My little niece she was in the yard but that was only 20 feet away, you know, and a brick coming from that high,” Henshawe said, pointing to the building’s roof. “You can see one brick hanging out and the roof, there's probably a 20-by-20 foot angle with a hole up in there. And I don't know when it’s actually going to collapse.”
Mike Thomas, Henshawe’s landlord, said the building at 608 Ohio St. has been crumbling for about a month. Channel 11 News learned it was damaged in a fire years ago, and neighbors said it has been in disrepair since then.
“It scares me because you never know, a brick falling from that high,” Henshawe said.
Thomas said he took his concerns to Glassport Borough officials and was told they can’t afford to spend the $16,000 it would cost to demolish the vacant building.
Channel 11 News inquired about the identity of the building’s owner, but had yet to hear back from borough officials as of Tuesday evening.
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