MARS — The public is invited to weigh in on the Mars downtown revitalization plan.

Mayor Gregg Hartung announced that the plans for the project will be presented to the borough council at Monday night’s meeting. He said the plans will also be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Mars Public Library, where residents can discuss the plans and give their ideas and input.

Hartung hopes at least 30 people show up at the library to hear about the plan and share their thoughts.

“We want the community to have ownership in the plans,” Hartung said.

He said the preliminary plans by a consulting firm will be finalized after the forum at the library.

Once final plans are in place, the revitalization committee will have an idea of the project’s cost. Then it will begin seeking local funding and applying for grants, Hartung said.

“When we have the (cost amount,) we can start fundraising,” Hartung said.

The committee has already spoken to people in the community who have expressed an interest in donating toward the project, and those who would be impacted by the traffic flow caused by the revitalization, Hartung said.

He said since the preliminary plans were unveiled in July at the Mars New Year celebration, he has had many comments and suggestions from residents and business owners.

“We will try to entertain (ideas) that are practical,” Hartung said.

He said the tentative plan is for the revitalization to occur in three or four stages, with a tentative completion in three to five years.

The first phase would likely see improvements on Pittsburgh Street, beginning near the St. John Specialty Care Center and leading into Mars.

The second phase would see similar improvements on Valencia Road, beginning at Route 228 and leading into the borough.

The third phase would include improvements on Mars-Valencia Road, beginning at the Adams Township border and leading into Mars.

The three entrances to Mars are referred to by the group as the “gateways” to Mars.

Hartung also said upgrades such as lighting, sidewalks, infrastructure and general beautification also will be pursued.

He hopes a restaurant with a liquor license, an ice-cream parlor, and other businesses that would attract and retain visitors to the downtown will locate in Mars as a result of or in support of the revitalization.

“Mars is a quaint little town,” Hartung said. “The upgrades will see people come into town and stay here.”

Melanie Sittler of the Mars Business Association said the project will benefit Mars.

“We want to revitalize the economy, not just through appearance and image, but through an incremental approach that’s built around the unique attributes our area has,” Sittler said. “We’re looking to lead the community into the future.”

Sittler said a few months ago that the group was trying to plan the upgrades to the gateways to coincide with the state Department of Transportation’s $6.5 million widening project, which would widen Route 228 and add turn lanes on Pittsburgh Street and Warrendale Road at the intersection near St. John’s. The project is proposed for 2018.

Hartung said because the borough has already updated its underground infrastructure, the cost for the revitalization will be less than that for most communities, which must upgrade sewer, water and other underground utilities during such projects.

Hartung said he hopes for a good turnout on Wednesday at the library.

“The main thing is to have it be transparent, and be the community’s project,” Hartung said.