Borough plans for improvements through 2002

By BETH LUCAS
Collegian Staff Writer

New murals, trash cans and benches, along with marked historical sites and a kiosk, will change the streets of downtown State College within the next few years.

These projects are outlined in a five-year strategic plan enacted last year. The plan, created by Downtown State College Partnership, calls for changes in the downtown region through the year 2002.

The partnership has been working with the State College Borough Council, businesses in the area and Penn State to attain its objectives, such as painting murals on bare walls.

"(The partnership) has done an inventory and 12 walls are probably appropriate (to be painted)," said Jim Mann, executive director of the partnership.

It is still undecided who will paint the murals, what scenes would be appropriate and who will fund the project.

Along with the murals, more benches and trash cans will be placed in the downtown area.

"We are all trying to work together to make downtown more appropriate for pedestrians and visitors," said Jean McManis, State College Borough Council president.

Borough council paid for the cans and the downtown partnership supplied the benches that line College Avenue. Thirteen more benches have been ordered.

John Bowman (senior-English) said he uses the benches when he is walking around the downtown area.

"It's more convenient. There wasn't anywhere to sit before," he said.

While the benches and trashcans are being added, the partnership also will be organizing a tour of local historical sites. The tour, scheduled to begin by July 2000, will be finished in time for a national meeting of governors that will be held in the area.

"One of (the partnership's) committees is doing an inventory of buildings and sites, researching where to make (historical) markers," Mann said. The markers would explain the history of the building or site. The tour and sites also would be of interest to returning former students, he said.

The partnership will bring an information kiosk to the downtown area by the end of this year. The kiosk will house four displays, including maps of downtown, campus and Centre Area Transportation Authority bus routes.

The kiosk, which will be funded by the council, was recommended by a study of the area done eight years ago. It is currently being designed and, when finished, will be located at one of five possible sites downtown, Mann said. More are planned for the future.