Nine months ago, when Allegheny County and the Mon Valley Initiative announced they would refurbish a 90-year-old building in Braddock, they held a news conference in the street because they feared one side of the three-story brick structure would crumble.

"It was just about as bad as a building can get without falling down," said Braddock Mayor John Fetterman.

But yesterday, public officials stood confidently in the shadow of the now gleaming structure on Corey Avenue to announce the opening of the East Braddock Housing Development building.

"We are revitalizing this once vibrant community by eliminating blight [and] providing affordable housing opportunities," said Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

Pre-revitalization, the Corey Avenue building was considered an eyesore in addition to a hazard. When the decision was made to save it, borough council was looking for the money to raze it.

"It was a challenging building," said Doug VanHaitsma, the real estate director for the Mon Valley Initiative, who estimated the renovation cost about $1 million.

But yesterday, as community members toured the space which still smelled of paint, they gazed in awe at the new amenities, including central air conditioning, carpeting and energy-efficient appliances, and details like an ornately carved wooden hearth and the mosaic-tiled entryway that reflect its historic charm.

Tina Sanders, who once worked as a school crossing guard, has already applied for a two-bedroom unit in the building. She currently lives in a house on Kirkpatrick Avenue and feared she would have to move away because of the lack of good, affordable housing in Braddock.

"I am so tired of them tearing stuff down, because I want to stay here," she said.

Most of the funding for the $3.9 million project came from PNC Multi Family Capital, which put up $3.3 million in exchange for Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority tax credits. Allegheny County, the Mon Valley Initiative and the Federal Home Loan Bank contributed the rest.

The officials also participated in a ground-breaking ceremony for six houses on Parker Avenue near the Carnegie Library of Braddock.