Jan 25, 2017 2 min read

CHARLEROI – The lowest bidder has been selected for the demolition of the dilapidated Atlas Building in Charleroi’s historic district.

The Washington County Redevelopment Authority accepted a $114,852 bid Tuesday from a Monroeville contractor to raze the large building whose roof has collapsed, said Nathan Voytek, a community development specialist at the authority.

“I’m actually ecstatic,” said Charleroi Councilman Larry Celaschi, who has been working with a local economic development group that wants to purchase the property at 138 McKean Ave.

The apparent winner of the contract, BJC Enterprises, was among 10 contractors that submitted bids for the project, Voytek said Wednesday. The bid came in nearly $15,000 higher than projected, and the authority will use federal community development funding to pay for the work, he said.

The authority is awaiting a reference check on the company as well as a certification of insurance before awarding the bid. The company also has to provide the state Department of Environmental Protection with a 10-day notification on how it plans to deal with such contaminants as asbestos. The demolition could begin in three weeks.

Washington County Judge Damon Faldowski has set a March 22 hearing on the proposal from the Charleroi Area School District to sell the Atlas property and the nearby old high school football stadium to Mon Valley Alliance for $1 each.

The authority was required to mitigate the loss of the building with the state Historical and Museum Commission because most of the borough is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. In exchange for demolition, the authority must hire an engineer to protect an adjoining house from being damaged during the work and the borough has to hold workshops to educate residents on the economic benefits of preserving the neighborhoods and downtown.

Celaschi said the alliance is hoping to use the Atlas property to create a safer entrance at a railroad crossing into the old stadium site.

The alliance also has said it will hold town meetings to gather input from residents on what they would like to see created at the stadium property, which hugs the Monongahela River.

“It’s going to open up a lot of progress,” Celaschi said.