Mar 2, 2021
Altoona isn’t the only city having to deal with deteriorated structures that undermine the positive aspects of the municipality.
It is a fact that businesses’ exit to malls, shopping centers and other suburban sites, which ramped up in the 1960s, set the stage for long-term vacancies and erosion of buildings’ interiors and exteriors not only in Pennsylvania but across the country.
Among buildings’ interior components that become victimized by years of lack of use are waterlines, wiring, heating systems, flooring, and unique wood and other surfaces and designs that were part of the businesses’ identities.
Deterioration over time, combined with issues such as asbestos and lead paint, made some structures too costly to try to save.