The Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce has established a fund to renovate two buildings in the borough in an effort to revitalize the downtown area.

Plans for the renovation project were announced Thursday at the chamber's annual dinner at Greenville Country Club.

"Greenville is changing ... one business at a time," said Jeanne Endicott, chamber president. "The Greenville Chamber of Commerce has big changes on the horizon."

In May 2001, the chamber bought two buildings at 180 and 182 Main Street. After renovations are complete, one building will house the chamber and the United Way of Northern Mercer County.

The other will serve as an "incubator" to bring a fledgling business into downtown Greenville.

The project will cost $125,000, and the chamber is soliciting donations from the community. The chamber has already raised $10,000.

First National Bank of Pennsylvania, which began in Greenville, will match a lead challenge pledge of $12,500 by bank Chairman Peter Mortensen.

Because they were the highest contributors toward the renovation project, the bank and Mortensen were given the building's naming rights.

The new building will be called the Norman P. Mortensen Building in honor of Mortensen's father, a longtime president of First National and a founder of the Greenville-Reynolds Industrial Development.

The chamber plans to begin work on the building in February. It is expected to be finished by September.

As the guest speaker at the dinner, Thiel College President and CEO Dr. Lance Masters illustrated the need for a relationship between the college and the community.

He said the college and the community should work together and promote each other.

Masters shared the history and the background of the college, as well as his vision for the future.

Masters wants Greenville to be "a nice college town" that attracts outside businesses.

The college's enrollment has increased 40 percent in less than four years, and this year's freshman class is the biggest in history. Masters hopes it keeps growing.

"My vision is for a vibrant learning community of perhaps 2,500 students," Masters said. Thiel's enrollment currently stands at about 1,300.

Masters' plans for the college include new student housing by fall 2004, improvements to Passavant Center and a cable access program.

Masters summed up his presentation by asking, "Can we build a vision of greatness together?"

Robert Piccirilli, president-elect of the chamber, said he is looking forward to working with Thiel and the borough to get the revitalization underway.

Also at the dinner, the chamber chose David Kalchthaler, owner of Kalchthaler Insurance Agency, as business person of the year and Thiel College as business of the year.

The chamber also chose its officers for 2003, including Piccirilli as president, Dan Wallace as president-elect, Rick Kalchthaler as vice president and Robert Sherbondy as treasurer.