The first 1.1 miles of hiking and bicycling trail linking downtown Greenville with Riverside Park and Thiel College, is being designed and routed, Robert M. Good, Greenville Area Leisure Services Association executive director, told board members Monday.

Pashek Associates, the Coraopolis architectural engineers which also designed the sports complex, is designing the trails. Construction of the first phase is expected to begin in early July, Good said.

Pashek also will be designing the trail from Riverside Park to the youth sports complex now under construction in West Salem Township. When both phases are finished, the Greenville area will have three miles of new trails, and a total of five miles of trails when the existing nature trail and Riverside Park loop are included, Good said.

Greenvilleborough received a $112,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the trail projects. In January, GALSA will apply for a grant from the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps, which also would be used for trail construction, Good said. Good said he was confident of getting approval for the PCC grant.

The new trails are a part of a $5.5 million state and locally funded recreation upgrade. The package of projects also includes the sports complex, renovation of Greenville Memorial Swimming Pool and a new recreation center.