The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Sunday, Feb. 13, 2000


SHARON

City buoyed by clearing of sites, progress and the hope for more

By Bob Price
Mayor, City of Sharon

The City of Sharon is poised to enter the 21st Century filled with enthusiasm for the possibility of a bright future.

In the mid-1980s with plant closings, things did not always look positive toward growth and job potential as they do now. Thanks to a concerted effort by many people, we have gained back most of the employment lost during that era. Those of us involved in economic development realize the potential of a property such as the old Midland Ross facility, and that dream has now become a reality with the clearing of the site to make way for industrial growth.

In the near future, I can visualize new facilities being constructed and hundreds of people coming and going at shift changes, giving meaningful employment to the residents of the area.

The other industrial bright spot in our community’s future will be the former Westinghouse facility, with 800,000 square feet of manufacturing space that will soon be removed from the Superfund Site List. This will enable economic development to take place and the potential for thousands of jobs to be created.

When we first moved into our new city building in 1979, I can remember looking out the window of my office at 24 acres of vacant land, several empty store fronts in downtown and an infrastructure badly in need of repair.

As I look out my window now, I see that same 24 acres fully developed with commercial and office space and as I walk State Street, compared to the late 1970s and early 1980s, there are very few empty store rooms. The fact that Sharon attracts 1,200 tour buses a year indicates it is looked at as a viable shopping area that people want to come to.

The city’s housing stock continues to improve thanks in part to the city’s $431,000-a-year housing rehabilitation program and to the citizens, who are proud of their community and maintain their properties.

Communities are made up of three distinct areas, industrial, commercial and residential. We have laid a solid foundation to enter into the 21st Century on a positive note in all three areas. We must continue to strive to make Sharon a great place to live, work and raise a family.

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