SHARON, Pa. – To me, the downtown is just a giant stage,” says Jeff Feola. “The business owners are the performers, and it’s our responsibility to keep them on the same page, communicate with them and learn their marketing initiatives.”
Feola is the director of community and economic development of the Sharon Community Development Corp. The group was launched late last year to bring vibrancy, visitors and jobs to the downtown area.
Angie Urban, who became the first executive director of the agency in December, says downtown Sharon already has momentum.
Urban, who previously was executive director of New Visions for Lawrence County, Pa., and Feola, who was a board member and entertainment lead for Citywide Development Corp. in New Castle, Pa., are used to working together. They routinely teamed up the past few years on revitalization projects in downtown New Castle.
When Urban took over at Sharon CDC, one of her first actions was to hire Feola. Their goal now is to transform downtown into a magnet for entertainment, dining and shopping.
Trending Upward
The downtown has been trending upward for several years.
State Street and its adjacent avenues are home to many mom-and-pop businesses that are taking advantage of the low rent. The downtown occupancy rate currently stands at 62%. “That’s not bad, when you compare it to other struggling cities,” Feola says.
The first few blocks of West State are the lone area that has yet to see a rebirth. Most of the storefronts there are empty, with some of the buildings in an advanced state of disrepair, Feola says. The long-closed Columbia Theater building sits in its midst.
From their office in the Hope Center for Arts and Technology on the city’s West Hill, Urban and Feola see a clear path forward for downtown.
“Sharon was at a point where we have a lot of momentum and opportunity but not the structure to make this momentum continue and be sustainable,” Urban says.
That’s where the new CDC comes in.
“Putting the pieces [of redevelopment] together was the part of my job in New Castle that I really enjoyed,” she says.
About five years ago, the city started working with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the business district in older cities.
Progress stalled during the pandemic but returned in 2021 when the city was awarded $14 million in ARPA money. The city entered two-year contracts with Sherris Moreira and Courtney Cilli to get the revitalization ball rolling.
Also located in the Hope Center building is Launchbox, a new agency that guides entrepreneurs as they launch businesses.
“An incredible entrepreneurial ecosystem is developing here,” Urban says, referring to Launchbox and the CDC. “We didn’t have these groups five years ago. They are dedicated to making sure new businesses have the resources they need. It’s a huge asset and getting stronger.”
Urban and Feola are tasked with keeping the momentum going but with a more comprehensive purview, Urban says.
They are taking over at a time when the downtown is making visible progress. “If you haven’t been here in five years, you’ll see that a lot is new,” Urban says.
With storefronts finding new tenants, the CDC aims to lure new visitors downtown, in hopes they’ll return again and again.
Luring Newcomers
Feola is putting his extensive entertainment management background to use to bring shoppers into the city.
He recently returned from a 15-month stint as tour manager of the Broadway musical “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”
Before the pandemic, he was the manager of a touring production of the hit musical, “Hamilton.”
Already on the books in downtown Sharon is a concert series at a new greenspace along the Shenango River where the Huntington Bank building formerly stood.
Rockin’ on the River will feature three free concerts by regional bands, starting June 28 with Grandview Soul. Also scheduled are My So-Called 90s Band on July 19, and The Labra Brothers on Aug. 16.
Plans call for expanding the greenspace, Feola says, by eliminating a small parking lot at its northern end.
The CDC is experimenting with programming for the space this season, says Urban, who foresees it becoming a small park with a permanent stage.
Two other major events that will attract people to downtown this summer are Waterfire, the annual festivals that will take place July 27 and Sept. 21; and Fun Fest, formerly Bavarian Fun Fest, on the grounds of Quaker Steak and Lube in July.
Another focal point for tourism is The Block, a four-story block-long building at 23 Chestnut St. that has been transformed into five themed restaurants under one roof.
The Block is owned by Walt Novosel, owner of Nova Cellars and Brew 32 in Pulaski, Pa., Knockin’ Noggin Cidery in Volant, Pa., and Hop Asylum brewery in New Wilmington, Pa. He started work on the project last summer.
The first phase of The Block includes The Bluttered Bloke, an Irish pub, on the first floor; and Lost & Found, a speakeasy bar and grill in the basement. Opening later this month and also part of the first phase will be Emerald Sea Horse tiki lounge; Das Boot, a German beer hall; and Cantina de los Muertos, a Spanish cantina.
This year, a Western saloon will be added. Future additions will include a French bistro, an Italian grotto and a Japanese garden, Novosel says. The building will also eventually house a rental hall, and retail space.
State Street
Feola has been on a “listening tour” of downtown business owners. He helps them reach their goals by connecting them to funding sources and serving as a liaison to other officials and stakeholders.
With unusual retail shops like those in The Lofts, on the second floor at 81 E. State St., downtown has an offbeat charm. The Loft shops include a record store, skateboard shop and a yoga studio.
“One business owner said to us, ‘Hermitage has everything you need, with its big grocery and clothing stores, but Sharon has everything you want,” Feola says.
One of the newest businesses is Allie’s Sweet Tooth, 47 E. State St., a coffee shop and bakery that opened May 20 in the former Army Navy store building on East State Street. It’s known for its custom iced sugar cookies with logos or artwork that it ships to customers nationwide.
Allie Adams, owner of the shop, knows she is in a landmark location and plans to take advantage of it. She will offer breakfast and lunch items, charcuterie boards to go, and a dining room with ample seating that could become a community gathering
space.
“We’ve been thinking about all we can offer here, keeping in mind the downtown location and history of this iconic space,” Adams says.
Another such place is Thyme in Your Kitchen, at 79 E. State St., which offers cooking classes and sells culinary items.
It not only makes for a fun evening, but it’s kind of a bargain, according to Brooke Baker, who teaches there.
“Our classes are so popular,” Baker says. “For $60 you can take a class, get the recipe and also take home the food that you make.”
Pictured at top: Angie Urban and Jeff Feola of Sharon Community Development Corp. in their office in the HopeCAT building.