Grove City Revitalization, Inc., asked borough council for $38,000 to help pay a consultant from EG&G Associates, Akron, Ohio, to work on a three-phase plan to revitalize downtown Grove City.

That money will be added to $35,000 the private Grove City group has raised to pay an initial $73,000 fee for EG&G to come up with architectural drawings of a new downtown, called a master design plan.

Backers say the plan will tap into the town's individuality, not destroy it. Other EG&G clients include Slippery Rock, which should start work on its revitalization this year. That town's plan calls for new sidewalks, parking, lights, roadways, landscaping and other downtown attractions. Utility wires will even be put underground.

With the money it has, the group can pay for about six months of work by EG&G, said David Dayton, chairman of Grove City Revitalization, Inc.

The remainder of the money will pay another three months. From there, the group can decide whether to keep the firm and pay extra for its help in drawing up, bidding out and supervising construction plans, Dayton said.

"The $73,000 helps us to know what it will cost to do the project for probably over the next three years," Dayton said.

Council's finance committee will consider the request.

Dayton said over 60 individuals filled out a questionnaire about the downtown's future at a meeting last week.

Out of 10 questions, the things which ranked the highest were the commitment and support those individuals would give to make the project succeed, Dayton said. The $35,000 mostly came from pledges prior to and immediately following that evening. Previously, $5,000 was given by the borough.

The downtown ranked lowest in having a variety of goods and services, parking and a vision of what it could become in the future.

"It needs help now," Dayton said of the group's consensus.