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By Jill Brown

The Monessen City Council meeting on October 26, 2015, was standing room only as residents all came out to hear the big vote that had been postponed for this month.

Mayor Lou Mavrakis speaks with conviction about the lost sale of the Monessen buildings.

Tejas Gosai and his father, Dr. Kamlesh Gosai, had offered $265,000 for the Municipal Complex and the Eastgate buildings, planning to donate back the Eastgate building to Monessen. Council had accepted the Gosais’ initial bid back in August, a move one resident later said at this meeting “was wasting their (the Gosais’) time.”

Mayor Lou Mavrakis said the words for which everyone had been waiting, “I make a motion to approve the sale between the City of Monessen and Tejas Towers Inc. for the property of One Wendell Ramey Lane and the Eastgate 11 building.”

Councilman John Nestor began, “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights wondering what the sale of this building can do for Monessen.” Then he was interrupted with outcries from residents before he could say, “No.”

Councilwoman Patricia Bukowski said, “I’m voting no. As with John, we have in our own way struggled with this. We have not been offered enough money for it. $250,000 is not even enough to buy an elevator. There was never any meeting back and forth with this. I think if we had been offered $500,000, we would have all accepted the bid.”

Mayor Mavrakis said, “A building is only worth what people are going to pay for it.”

Councilman Josh Retos said, “This is the city’s biggest asset. By selling this building at such a reduced rate, it will open floodgates for tax appeals. Unfortunately my vote’s going to have to be no.”

Councilwoman Lucille D’Alfonso said, “No. Everyone knows my position.”

Councilwoman Lucille D’Alfonso became involved in a heated debate with the mayor during the Monessen Council meeting.

Mayor Mavrakis said, “We’ve been losing money on this building. We’re 13 ½ million dollars in debt thanks to you (D’Alfonso.)” He later continued, “You’ve chased away an investor who was going to spend millions of dollars on Monessen. I was trying to do something to move the city forward.”

Mavrakis, angry with Council, said that it is because he is in support of the sale that Council voted against it. He then asked why the sale of former City Hall to Dr. Martin Dudas was sold for only (approximately) $10,000, without question or debate.

During Public Forum, resident Josh Turkovich inquired of Council: “Where do we go from here? Because we’re dying.”

Councilwoman Bukowski argued, “Don’t say that—we’re not dying. You would not give your house away if you thought it was worth $500,000.”
Solicitor Gary Matta stated, “We’re going to continue to try to market this building.”

The meeting dragged on for three hours as residents were in shock over the lost opportunity that evening and sought answers, finally growing weary. With that, the meeting was adjourned.

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