WASHINGTON, Pa. — A condemned restaurant that partially collapsed in the City of Washington years ago is finally being torn down.
The building has sat ‘more or less’ in the same condition, but crews have begun clearing away the former restaurant.
Channel 11 covered that collapse in 2022. The restaurant was condemned and fenced off ever since.
Today, for the first time in years, there’s real progress happening.
Demolition crews have spent the day tearing it down, clearing the way for new development in Washington.
Richard Gaud’s father-in-law owns the barbershop next door and says they’ve been listening to the building continue to crumble.
“This used to be a bar, I used to come here a lot on my Harley, 25-30 years ago,” said Gaudi.
The Corner Restaurant and Bar has gone through decades of memories, owners and names.
It was undergoing a major renovation in 2022 when the outside shockingly crumbled!
Channel 11 was there when the brick facade spilled onto the sidewalk; thankfully, no one was walking past at the time.
“Well, it needed torn down because stuff has been falling off the building,” Gaudi said.
City leaders tell Channel 11 this has been a public safety hazard and a priority, but they had to get through a lot of red tape.
The Redevelopment Authority and the county helped provide the funding to demolish it and make room for economic growth.
“It clears the way for some type of development. It would be nice to have another restaurant there,” said City Administrator Rich Cleveland.
City Administrator Rich Cleveland told us that while the future of the corner is unknown, many people familiar with the once beloved bar know a fun fact about its history.
“My understanding is Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, worked there when he was going to W&J for college,” Cleveland said.
Right now, crews are installing a new waterline
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