Representatives from an architectural, engineering, and planning consultant will be on hand Wednesday afternoon to answer people’s questions about a project to “reimagine” Liberty Township’s main business corridor.

Township officials and the Akron-based GPD Group will talk about what’s being called the “Building a Better Belmont", a project to make the one-mile stretch of the road more user-friendly for people who may not be driving a car or truck.

The township is preparing an alternate transportation Plan to develop strategies for improvements of Belmont Avenue between Liberty Street and Churchill Commons Giant Eagle.

Organizers say the goal is to enhance safety, access, and mobility for people walking and bicycling along the corridor, as well as improve the aesthetics of the area.

An application for a planning grant submitted by trustees earlier claimed that currently there is little regard for hotel guests, bicyclists, or nearby residents walking along or across the Belmont Avenue to patronize restaurants, grocery stores, salons, a medical facility, or the township park.

The application described the corridor as “non-descript, lacking cohesion and unappealing and a place you would want to circumvent.”

Since the Interstate 80 interchange is part of the corridor, trustees say it is often a visitor's only impression of Liberty and the Mahoning Valley, which may be the deciding factor in choosing a place for education, a job, or starting businesses not only in the township but elsewhere in the Valley.

In addition, the Belmont Corridor Safety Study conducted in 2016 found that the intersection of Belmont Ave at Churchill Hubbard Rd experienced 39 crashes in a three-year period.

Backers say they want to transform Belmont Avenue into a destination for dining, entertainment, culture, retail, and healthcare.

Wednesday’s session will be held at the township administration building, 1315 Churchill Hubbard Road, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.