Should the Red X on a Building Be Feared?

A little over a year ago, white signs with red X s began popping up around the City of Greensburg. Some people weren’t sure what they meant, others wondered if these structures were destined for the wrecking ball.

After some discussion took place on a Facebook thread I posted a couple of weeks ago it seems that people are confused. I decided to delve into the issue some more.

It turns out that just because a building has a red X on it doesn’t mean that it will be torn down. It actually is a signal for first responders that the house is vacant and also possesses something that would make it structurally unsafe such as a bad roof, missing stairwells, or rotted or missing floors. 

These issues could be because the house is in poor structural shape, or it could be because of renovations either in progress or that have been abandoned.

Although some of these buildings may end up being eventually torn down, some of these building are in historic districts and the City of Greensburg doesn’t want to see them demolished — just simply fixed up. In fact, many of these buildings have private owners who are either actively working to fix them up or the city is working with the owners to get them to make repairs and get the buildings up to code.

There are several prominent buildings that currently have red Xs on them, including the Advance Furniture building, a former restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, and my favorite, this house across from UFO. 

I really love the house that is on Pennsylvania. Once again, if I had the money I would absolutely love to be able to restore it. Just the detail on the outside is outstanding. I can’t even imagine what the inside looks like. 

Doesn’t it look like it belongs in some sort of seaside town? Especially with the widow’s walk?

All of these buildings add to the character of downtown so hopefully they can find a buyer who has the money and energy to restore them.

Check out more Greensburg history:

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