Controversial McKeesport building destroyed by fire

A building with a controversial history was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning.

McKeesport Fire Chief Jeff List said first crews on the scene found a heavily involved commercial structure fire at 3711 Walnut St.

It was known as Chick's Grill but last year was leased to an Irwin businessman intent on opening a strip club there, which he planned to call Saints and Sinners. Questions about the lease were unresolved before Allegheny County Common Pleas Court when the flames broke out.

“We still have a working fire right now,” List said four hours after the first call to Allegheny County 911 at 3:51 a.m. “We're still under suppression mode.”

At that hour the building still was getting a lot of water from city and White Oak No. 1 Fire Co. trucks.

Glassport and Elizabeth firefighters assisted, as did volunteers from the American Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Region.

No injuries were reported. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating, with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A Pittsburgh ATF spokesman said it is a routine action, providing certified fire investigators to help the county deputy marshals, who were investigating three Mon Valley fires simultaneously.

“There has been no determination on a cause for the fire,” ATF's Joseph Price said.

Firefighters managed to keep the flames from spreading to a dentist's office next door, an office building a short space away or homes overlooking the fire scene along Hillview Street.

Walnut Street was closed in both directions between Eden Park Boulevard and Long Run Road. Motorists used Hillview and Roy streets as a shortcut.

“It's a shame to see something like this,” List said. “It's a nice building.”

It was known as Tube City Plaza and included the former Tube City Café and Brewhouse as well as Chaton's Salon. Contractor Thomas Cousar opened them in July 2002, but neither panned out.

Chaton's Salon closed within a year. On Dec. 11, 2003, federal agents raided Tube City Café and Capco's headquarters, located in the office building a short space away.

Cousar was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with defrauding the government by using supplies meant to help restore the Pentagon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Tube City Plaza came to be owned by CFS Service Corp., which sold the building to Tri-Star Holdings in 2007 for $536,000.

In 2008, Cousar, then 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of major fraud and one count of mail fraud. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Tri-Star leased Tube City Café to local restaurateur James Scarborough, who said he wanted a family restaurantthere.

Then came caterer Brian Cassidy and Chick's Grill.

“We specifically picked this area,” Cassidy said in May 2011. “First reason is because we thought McKeesport had a great need for it. We fit into McKeesport and the surrounding areas as well.”

Chick's Grill didn't last, closing in February 2013 with a Super Bowl party.

Then came Scott Birdseye and his proposal for Saints and Sinners Gentlemen's Club.

“That business, whose application was submitted by Birdseye Enterprises LLC in November 2013, was the subject of controversy as residents and church groups protested its proposed opening in February 2014,” city Solicitor J. Jason Elash said in a statement issued by Mayor Michael Cherepko's office Wednesday morning.

The protest stretched from the McKeesport Ministerium's member churches to more than 40 employees at Tri-Star Ford.

“In that same month, the city's building inspector denied Birdseye's occupancy permit because the company listed an eating and drinking establishment on its application and advertised to open a gentlemen's club with female dancers,” Elash said.

Birdseye sought a court order to compel city officials to give him a permit, but Senior Judge Joseph James dismissed the case because the issue was pending before McKeesport's zoning board.

That board rejected Birdseye's appeal of the building inspector's decision and Birdseye went back to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court with an appeal.

“Before that case could be heard by the court, issues developed with Birdseye's lease of 3711 Walnut St.,” Elash said. “The court ordered Birdseye to produce a valid lease before the appeal could proceed, and Birdseye was never able to present such documents.”

He said McKeesport's administration was preparing documents to have the appeal dismissed based on Birdseye's failure to produce a lease.

“In light of (Wednesday's) events, the city will move to have this matter brought to a final resolution as soon as possible,” Elash said.

Patrick Cloonan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161 ext. 1967, or pcloonan@tribweb.com.