The Borough of Wyomissing has granted a conditional extension to the Berkshire Mall after inspections confirmed substantial progress in repairing critical safety systems following weather-related damage.
Borough officials responded on Feb. 9 and 10 to reports of burst water and sprinkler piping at the mall, which were caused by extreme cold temperatures. While addressing those emergency plumbing issues, the Borough Building and Fire Code Official and Code Enforcement Officer conducted inspections and identified additional safety concerns.
According to the borough, those deficiencies included inadequate heat in multiple vacant tenant spaces and public common areas, non-functional HVAC units, and a non-operational mall-wide fire suppression system.
As a result, the borough issued a Notice of Unsafe Structure and Order to Vacate on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The notice gave property ownership 48 hours to complete corrective action and stated that failure to make the required repairs would result in the property being deemed unfit for human occupancy. The order directed the owner to complete repairs by noon on Friday, Feb. 13.
The notice was served and posted at the property. Formal notification was also sent to Namdar Realty Group’s corporate office and legal representatives. Mall tenants were informed of the required corrective actions and potential outcomes.
Since the notice was issued, mall ownership has been working to address the deficiencies. The borough allowed repair work to continue through Friday afternoon to facilitate progress.
Inspections conducted Friday afternoon confirmed that substantial improvements had been made to both the HVAC and fire suppression systems. In coordination with borough officials, Namdar Realty Group was granted a conditional extension to complete the remaining work.
The mall is permitted to remain open over the weekend under continued monitoring. Borough officials stated they will continue to closely monitor the situation and will take immediate enforcement action if conditions warrant.
The borough emphasized that compliance with building and fire safety codes is mandatory and that protecting public health and safety remains its responsibility.
