Former beer distributor collapses in Mahanoy

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Mahanoy City Code Enforcement Officer Bill Killian, left, and Police Patrolman Rachael Lenar look over the collapse damage at the former Sheehan and Sons distributor on July 4, 2020.

MAHANOY CITY – A former beer distributor in Mahanoy City suffered a partial collapse early Saturday morning, leaving debris in the street as walls bowed out.

Borough fire crews were called to the former Sheehan and Sons distributor at Main and Maple Streets just after midnight for a reported collapse.

The roof of the commercial structure collapsed, damaging the exterior walls. Debris landed in the middle of Maple Street, and some walls were leaning in the direction of both Maple and Main Streets.

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Debris from the collapse in Maple Street.

Borough Code Enforcement Officer Bill Killian told the Sentinel at the scene that Main and Maple Streets immediately near the structure will be closed in case of a further collapse, and will remain so until borough council decides the next steps.

He said the likely next step would be an emergency demolition, dependent on funding.

The building is owned by Goldstein Couriers, LLC, of Baltimore, Maryland, a company Killian said is defunct.

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Code Enforcement Officer Bill Killian, left, speaks to a West End firefighter at the scene of a collapse on July 4, 2020.

“Multiple violations, multiple citations, they’ve never answered,” Killian said.

The building was a posted as a do not enter property by the fire department in October of 2019, and has been neglected for years, fire officials said.

No one was injured in the collapse, though the resulting noise reverberated through the neighborhood, some neighbors said.

Borough streets department workers were on site around 1:00am, placing barricades at the closed portions of Main and Maple, and PPL Electric Utilities was requested by code enforcement as well.

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1 thought on “Former beer distributor collapses in Mahanoy

  1. Just a few things.As for the home rule vote.that was just another thing this town’s officials did in a sneaky way.alot of people didn’t even no about the vote and alot of other people didn’t know that they were allowed to vote because they did the vote during the primaries independent voters cant normally vote then.and why have code enforcement when they do nothing. Even when they can.if you can take people’s house for taxes you can find a way to take the dangerous properties.this town keeps getting worse and alot has to do with the ones running this town.they only do something when it benefits them and there family and friends ..this use to be a clean town not long ago now it disgusting trash always out porches filled with dirty junk nothing gets done. So get rid of the code enforcement officer hes not doing anything. Its time to replace all the officials but we all have to take a stand. Im sure no one wants to be in a disgusting dirty town where landlords aren’t even held accountable. Time to make everyone accountable.thanks for reading. Dennis

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