Nearly $1 million in state grants have been awarded to Mercer County.

The grants, totaling $934,589, will be used for revitalization of Sharon thoroughfare and help preserve Buhl Park wetland areas.

The funding includes $729,589 to Sharon under the CFA Multimodal Transportation Fund Project for Phase 3 of the Sharon Revitalization Project.

"The Irvine Avenue corridor is a critical gateway for visitors to Sharon, but the corridor has fallen into significant disrepair," Rep. Mark Longietti said. Funding for this project will address access and safety issues to improve travel for area residents, attract more consumers from neighboring Ohio and spur greater economic development for the resurging downtown area."

Removing current road, surfacing and replacing the road surface and replacing sidewalks with ADA compliant materials are also in the plans.

A $205,000 grant to the Buhl Park Corp. will be used for the Wetland Restoration Project.

"Buhl Park's beautiful and delicate wetland areas have provided area residents amazing recreational and educational opportunities for more than a century," Longietti said. "This funding is going to support a project to improve the structure and function of three existing wetland areas to ensure the area remains pristine and is preserved for future generations to enjoy."