ZELIENOPLE — The borough has established a redevelopment area in its business district that will aid the borough’s revitalization group to get grants.

Council voted Monday night to establish the designated Redevelopment Area from Culvert Street to Northview Drive.

Ben Levinger, a consultant with E.G. & G., the Ohio-based firm that was hired to guide the revitalization effort, explained to council Monday night that by establishing a redevelopment district, it will open up grant opportunities.

“The designation will help achieve the financial goals for the area,” Levinger said.

A committee made up of representatives of the revitalization effort had done a building survey in the area that looked at items such as the cracking of mortar between bricks, old roof shingles and facade deterioration, which would be considered based on scoring requirements from Housing and Urban Redevelopment grant funding.

Additional areas that were evaluated included infrastructure, handicap-accessibility requirements and driveway openings.

Don Pepe, Zelienople manager, said the area is basically a legal designation that will allow a grant application to score more points to get grant funding.

The group this year has applied for two state grants, a Community Development Block grant for $120,000 and a Governor’s Capital Assistance Grant for $3.85 million to start the revitalization work. The results of those applications are expected to be known later this year.

Borough council in January awarded the $225,000 contract to E.G. & G. to provide engineering and final designs on the revitalization plans.

The project brings a potential to revitalize downtown Zelienople through a series of improvements and the commitment of business and community leaders.

The overall revitalization project is estimated to cost about $7.5 million. It is designed to be constructed in phases and depends on grants.

A group of business leaders and citizens last year had formed the nonprofit organization Zelienople, PA Revitalization, Inc., to jump-start the revitalization of downtown through their contributions and the borough providing the seed money for the project.

Zelienople, PA Revitalization has been working with E.G. & G. on the revitalization effort.

The project’s three goals are to improve the appearance and infrastructure in the borough, to stimulate economic revitalization and to promote the borough.