City officials and planners are counting on residents to give input and help develop a revitalization plan for downtown Sharon.

The city received a $50,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development through the land use, planning and technical assistance program to study downtown. The city hired E.G.&G. Inc. of Akron to develop the plan.

"The more community input we have, the better the project will result," said Joseph Mazzola, planning consultant for E.G.&G. He said the residents know the city and their input will help generate a high quality plan.

There will be a public meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in the city building. Mazzola said he hopes to have a revitalization plan in place within six months.

E.G.&G. is analyzing an area of downtown bound by Irvine Avenue, Silver Street, Sharpsville Avenue and Connelly Boulevard, Mazzola said. Mayor David O. Ryan said he would like to see the Silver Street barrier broken to extend the project to Penn State's Shenango campus.

Ryan said he expects this project to come to fruition.

"Our plans see the light of day," Mazzola said. "Over 90 percent of our plans are built in one degree or another." He added that the group has completed similar projects in Bowling Green and Lancaster, Ohio, and in several Pennsylvania cities. The group is also developing a plan for Greenville, he said.

A steering committee of local residents and members of the business community has met to get the planning process started. Mazzola said his firm will prepare six conceptual sketches to show possible changes to the riverfront, the entryway to the city, core buildings and street and parking enhancements.

Ryan has some ideas he would like to see developed, including a hotel. He said many people come to Sharon on business or to visit and there is nowhere in town for them to stay. He said he envisions a small hotel of 30 to 40 rooms possibly built at the southeast corner of the City Centre parking lot.

"I really think it's doable," Ryan said. "The city itself needs a beautification project."

Ryan said he would also like to see streets and sidewalks repaved and new traffic signals and lights installed.

This is a "very critical" time to make those types of improvements, Ryan said. "I don't believe, myself, we can stand still any longer."

Mazzola said finding private investors to help finance the project will be key after the plans are complete. He said local businesses need to look at this project with "healthy self-interest" because improvements will benefit everyone.

"This is for the sake of all of Sharon," Mazzola said. "Sharon has something unique."