SHARON, PA. State frees frozen grant for rebuilding
The library's two-story parking deck will be rebuilt with the $625,000 grant.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- A $1.25 million rebuilding project is back on track for the Shenango Valley Community Library.
Mayor David O. Ryan said a $625,000 grant frozen by Gov. Ed Rendell shortly after he took office has now been released, and the city will get the money.
That will cover half of the estimated project costs which calls for rebuilding the two-story parking deck and a variety of improvements to the building itself.
The city borrowed another $625,000 in September 2002 to finance the parking deck work and is using that money as matching funds for the state grant.
The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant was originally approved in early January but was among many grants frozen by Rendell when he came into office a day later.
Rendell said he wanted to review all of those grants to make sure they would promote job creation, and it appeared for a time that Sharon might lose its approval because its grant isn't about permanent job creation although it can be linked to job retention at the library.
Ryan said Rendell has given his approval to the release of the funds.
There's an extensive amount of work to be done and the library will essentially be a new building when it's finished, Ryan said.
Necessary replacement
The city learned in April 2002 that the upper level of the parking deck was in poor condition. The 31-year-old concrete structure has been deteriorating for years, primarily due to years of road salt being spread on the deck during winter weather.
Ryan imposed a 5,000-pound-per-vehicle limit on use of the 41 spaces in the upper level that month and banned all parking along a retaining wall.
If the city can't replace the deck, it will probably be closed completely in four or five years, Ryan said.
The project will take eight to 14 months and will cause temporary parking problems for the library and nearby businesses that use it.
Sharon will raze two vacant, dilapidated commercial buildings directly across East State Street from the library and create a parking lot there to help handle the traffic.