Group rebuilding North Versailles community center makes plea for help from contractors

NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — It’s been one hurdle after another for the owners of a dilapidated building in North Versailles, the former Crestas Terrace Community Center.

Over the years, the building has deteriorated, becoming overgrown and rundown. And now it needs a lot of work inside and out. It’s estimated it’ll take $1.2 million to renovate.

“This community center was the hub for our school. It was the first black school in the north Versailles area,” said Romodore Abdullah, the executive director of the Crestas Terrace Revitalization Project.

The vision for the building’s future is to transform it back to the way it was — a place for children and senior citizens.

Mount Carmel Baptist Church owned the building and sold it to the Crestas Terrace Revitalization Project.

“We need to bring it back because this is the only thing that can continue to pull the community together. It’s not just Crestas Terrace. We have Wilmerding, West Wilmerding, East McKeesport,” Abdullah said.

The first hurdle for the group was getting funding to replace the roof. Which it got through a $150,000 grant from Allegheny County over a year ago. But, they can’t find a contractor to do the work.

“No response. No response and we’re going into the second year now,” Abdullah said.

Thats why the group asked Channel 11 to help get the word out— that they desperately need a contractor. Here’s the message Abdullah has for a potential contractor:

“This is a history-making project, your name will be amongst the one to help build, rebuild this particular Crestas community center,” he said.

And once the group hires a contractor, they hope to have the work started ASAP.

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