Rufus L. Ratcliff used to think of his house at 122 Florida St., Farrell, as a good-luck charm.

The former mill worker, railroader, trash hauler and construction worker did a little hauling and small-engine repair on the side, and could keep scrap metal and lawn mowers on his property without bothering anybody.

"I was fortunate to keep a good job through the winter," said Ratcliff, 75, who frequently worked seasonal jobs. "I've been a survivor."

But, Ratcliff admitted he has let his house and a neighboring one he also owns "go down."

The entire neighborhood has gone down and no longer bustles the way it did when Ratcliff, a native of Laurel, Miss., bought the neighboring house in 1973, and the house he now lives in three years later.

"It's got to be so lonesome -- it's a crying shame," said the 49-year resident of Farrell.

If the city follows through with plans to buy his properties and relocate him elsewhere to make the area an industrial park, Ratcliff, who lives off Social Security and what he makes from fixing lawn mowers, will happily give up the house that has lost its charm.

"I sure hope they do," he said of the city's plans.

The city will hold a public hearing Monday on its urban renewal plan for the Florida Street area, and a section of Idaho Street. Council is set to vote on the plan following the hearing, said City Manager LaVon Saternow.

The $1 million plan would be funded by the state Redevelopment Capital Assistance program -- also called the Capital Budget program, the same program that helped fund the building of athletic stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia -- to the tune of $500,000, with the rest coming from the city's revolving loan fund ($300,000) and a Community Development Block Grant ($200,000).

Should council approve the plan Monday, it will then be sent to the governor's budget office for review, said consultant Tom Graney.

The city is waiting for consulting engineer Ed Winslow to provide revised cost estimates and bid-worthy plans and specifications, all of which must be submitted to the state, said Graney, president of Graney, Grossman, Ray, Colosimo and Associates, Grove City.

"I think we'll get that pretty quickly," Graney said.

The plan has been worked on for more than two years, and was publicly unveiled in March.

Graney said the complexity of the plan, which includes purchase of property, relocation of residents, building of roads, relocation of utilities and replatting of lots, made it time-consuming to develop.

"Just as we were about to finalize this thing, something else would come up," he said.

Officials also had problems finding someone who could handle the relocation of residents.

Some private firms had given estimates of $60,000, which was more expensive than the city was willing to pay.

The city ended up finding someone in town who could do the work, Roger Winston, a Farrell Redevelopment Authority member who had handled relocation for the city before.

While city officials and Winston have agreed on terms -- the plan budgets $15,000 -- council has not approved a contract, said Mrs. Saternow, adding that she is not sure when it will be ready.

Once the plan was made public, it followed a circuitous route through the Farrell Planning Commission, the redevelopment authority and council, a course specified in the Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law.

In talking with others who have received Redevelopment Capital Assistance grants, Graney said he believes the soonest the state could approve the plan is about two months.

"I'm assuming this summer acquisition activities will begin, and possibly some demolition," Graney said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharon-herald.com