If you do the math, the numbers are astounding.

Mercer County Housing Authority and developing partner Falbo/PennRose Joint Partnership, Pittsburgh, plan to spend $30 million to demolish the 100 public housing apartments of Steel City Terrace, Farrell, and build 145 new units on Steel City property and in the surrounding neighborhood -- an average of $209,195 per unit.

And they're not planning to build mansions. They'll build duplexes and triplexes with apartments for public housing and rental at closer to the market rate and single-family homes for sale.

But the so-called HOPE VI project -- so named because of the federal program that is providing roughly one-third of the budget -- is only partly a housing project.

Developers essentially will build a new neighborhood.

The first phase of construction, which will get under way this summer, is the most revolutionary. The project will build alleys and sidewalks, upgrade or replace utilities and sewer lines, move fire hydrants and a small mountain of dirt, add street lights and plant a small forest of vegetation.

Oh, and apartments will be built, too: 37 for public housing and 16 for rental at closer to the market rate, said Frank Gargiulo, housing planner for the authority.

The first phase budget is $9,820,719, and just under $2 million of that is for site school success for the children.

The CYFAR parents/families project and the 4-H youth development program at the Quinby Street Service Center reach out to children and youth from ages 5 to 18 and their caregivers.

The CYFAR program adviser and the 4-H youth adviser jointly plan and conduct activities for families in addition to their respective programs for children and youth. They provide the leadership for collaborating with other agencies to bring programs/services to the center for easier access by families.

The partnership -- with the Mercer County Housing Authority providing the start-up funds, program support and facilities for offices and meeting space, and Cooperative Extension in Mercer County providing staff, curriculum, research-based educational programs and program guidance -- has helped both organizations further mutual goals.

The housing authority's recently released progress report states that they "forge partnerships to deliver programs and services that create a brighter future for our children and that support residents as they seek to become self-sufficient".

Mercer County Cooperative Extension is proud to be one of those partnerships that is working to bring quality programs to children, youth and families in the Quinby Street community.

Janet L. McDougall is director of Mercer County Cooperative Extension.