The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 15, 2009

Plans set for Lofts to rise; Redesigned Sharon project a go for early 2010

By Courtney L. Anderson

SHARON — Construction of The Lofts at City Centre in downtown Sharon should begin early next year, about two years after the project of Shenango Avenue Associates was announced.

�We�re finally getting moving,� said developer Greg Koledin of Wesex Corp. in West Middlesex, the general contractor on the project.

City leaders are happy the long-awaited development is coming to fruition.

�I�m really excited about it,� Sharon Mayor Bob Lucas said.

Council President Mike Donato spoke for his fellow councilmen.

�I think we all agree that it�s going to be a plus, not just for the downtown area, but for the city in general,� he said.

Lucas noted that the city�s �inherent problem� is a declining population and The Lofts will bring more housing downtown. He said he hopes Penn State Shenango students will take advantage of it.

The Lofts will be a mixed-use building with about 50 apartments and retail and office space. It will be built at the site of the former Elks Club at Pitt Street and Shenango Avenue.

Koledin said they hope to have people moving in for the spring 2011 semester at Penn State. The campus was a draw for the developers.

In March, Koledin said the delay in building the eight-story building turned out to be a �blessing� because the project underwent a complete redesign and now will have environmentally friendly elements. He said they�re just finishing up plans for the geothermal heating system.

Koledin and partner Brian Beader, who is an electrician and Mercer County commissioner, had originally planned to break ground on the project last fall. Koledin said that people should start seeing movement at the site by the end of winter.

On Thursday, Koledin said that the project has been tied up by �bureaucracy,� namely in getting some state grant funds awarded over the last two years into the developers� hands.

Sharon council Thursday passed a resolution authorizing Shenango Avenue Associates to use $500,000 from a Department of Community and Economic Development Growing Greener grant for phase one of the project. The city is a pass-through agent for the grants.

Koledin said that�s the first draw on a $4 million state grant for the $12 million project.

Paperwork for a $3 million state Rural Community Assistance Program grant should be finalized in 60 to 90 days, Koledin said. Gov. Ed Rendell presented the grant to city officials in summer 2008.

The building was also just recently officially assigned 52 equivalent dwelling units to tap into Sharon�s wastewater-treatment system, he said. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection determines how many new users can join the system that feeds the new $45 million plant, which went online over the summer.

Text Only
Local News
  • Store owner busted again for fake pot sales

    The owner of a Grove City store already facing charges related to the sale of synthetic marijuana has been arrested a second time for selling the drug.

    Ala H. Nassar, 27, of 125 S. Seventh St., Sharpsville, was arrested Thursday on charges of delivery, possession and possession with intent to deliver synthetic pot, criminal use of a cellular telephone and conspiracy to commit delivery.

    Abdallah H. Matariyeh, 27, of the same address, also was arrested on charges of delivery and possession with intent to deliver.

    February 10, 2012

  • Bids opened for work to widen Rt. 760

    PennDOT officials opened bids Thursday for the first two sections of a three-section widening of Route 760 in Wheatland, Farrell and Sharon.

    February 10, 2012

  • Timeline now at center of negligence lawsuit

    A jury will decide whether the normal statute of limitations applies in a lawsuit filed by a Sharon man accusing a Sewickley agency of negligence that resulted in numerous injuries to his disabled son.

    February 10, 2012

  • Social media alert first responders

    The Mercer County Fire/EMS alerts’ Facebook page is two years strong and continues to attract followers who want the latest updates on traffic accidents, fires and other emergencies.

    February 10, 2012

  • State cuts trickle down to township

    Brookfield Township “is in a world of hurt.”

    February 9, 2012

  • Toth takes $30k to settle lawsuit

    It’s typical for lawsuit settlement agreements to include a confidentiality clause that bars the parties from discussing the terms of the settlement.

    February 9, 2012

  • Taking flight

    Some kids probably daydream about sending their homework up into the atmosphere, but that really happened this week for a few classes of Jamestown Area High School students.

    February 9, 2012

  • GC man called suspect in Jan. 27 bank robbery

    A Grove City man charged with robbing a Zelienople bank Monday is a suspect in the Jan. 27 robbery of a Sandy Lake bank.

    February 8, 2012

  • Committee to focus on finances for future

    Sharon city leaders have money on their minds as they look to the future of the once-vibrant town struggling with a limited tax base and higher costs of doing business.

    February 8, 2012

  • Summer work turns into year-round part-time job

    A Sharpsville resident asked council members this week why the man hired as summer help is still on the payroll in the middle of winter.

    February 8, 2012