In the words of Warren mayor Mark Philips, "Yet another piece comes to fruition."

The next component of Impact Warren is underway with an official groundbreaking Monday afternoon.

Construction will begin on Liberty West, a five-story building that will house a bank, retail stores, and three floors of apartments.

The building will stretch from the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and Liberty Street and connect to the existing buildings on the block.

Meanwhile construction of the new Northwest Savings Bank building, Allegheny Point, and a the parking garage continue in the downtown.

Warren city council member David See remarked that by getting all of this downtown development started, "We definitely twisted the screw."

The first floor of Liberty West will house 2,500 square feet of office space for County National Bank, headquartered in Clearfield.

County National CEO William Falger was in Warren Monday to dig in his shovel into the project. According to him, County National was eager to stake a claim in Impact Warren.

"That's why we're here. We are exited by the revitalization and we wanted to be downtown," Falger said.

Drive-up lanes and an ATM machine are included in the bank's plans.

Falger indicated that County National indicated the possibility of opening more branches in Warren County in the future.

Phillips is pleased that a company from outside of the county would be interested in investing in Warren.

Liberty West will be a brick structure that will match the current architecture on the block. It will be heated using geothermal energy.

Part of Impact Warren also includes a six-story hotel and a condominium complex along the riverfront. Construction has been delayed on these two projects due to materials for Hickory Street Bridge construction currently being stored on the building sites.

Blueprints for Impact Warren also detail the widening of Liberty Street into a boulevard.

Philips anticipates work on Impact Warren components to continue into the winter months. The Liberty West building is scheduled to be complete by June 2005.

Monday's groundbreaking is adding another piece to the puzzle that Phillips said will benefit the entire community.

"I am happy to be part of a team that has a positive attitude." Phillips adds that despite the concerns of some citizens, "If we continue on this path, we'll be able to lay the foundation to develop all areas of the county."