Six years ago, the East Third Street Old City Gateway Revitalization plan was a blank canvas.

In two weeks City Council will review a proposed $5.3 million construction bid by Glenn O. Hawbaker. The contract would begin the first phase of realigning streets and milling and paving the area.

“We really looked to spark economic development in a new way,” said Council President Jonathan Williamson to a packed chambers Thursday night.

The first phase of an expected $22.8 million of investment was described.

Delta Development Group, the primary consulting firm that secured up to 10 grants for partially paying for the project, according to LeRoy D. Kline Jr., president and CEO of the firm.

He provided council and the administration with detail of each grant and showed how the line items in each of the bids matched up with the available grants and the matching funds.

The project includes new traffic signals at Third and Mulberry streets, a new land added to Basin Street and realigning Franklin Street.

The state Department of Transportation is redoing Third Street between Campbell and Penn streets, said William E. Nichols Jr., city finance director and general manager of River Valley Transit.

Dr. Kent Trachte, president of Lycoming College, said the college’s Gateway building under construction will have an outdoor leadership and education center that fits in with the streetscape design, which includes pathways to link bicyclists and pedestrians the Susquehanna River Walk.

The second floor of the building includes and admissions office and there is also going to be an alumni advancement center, he said.

The building is scheduled to open in the fall, he said.