As many return from winter break, those needing to pay parking tickets, seek police help or attend a State College Borough Council meeting will need to walk a few more blocks. The new municipal building, located on the 200 block of South Allen Street, opened while students were away.

The new 10,000 square-foot facility provides increased office space, storage area and conference rooms. Council members want the building to be used by the community.

"There are four to five conference rooms that are available free of charge for borough users," council member Elizabeth Goreham said, adding that there is a large multi-purpose room with a hard wood floor that can be used for dance recitals or large group meetings.

The building also is home to the State College Police Department. A general consensus from officers is that they are very pleased with the new structure.

"It's like dying and going to heaven," Sgt. John Gardner said. "The space and the newness has made people ecstatic."

Gardner said there was insufficient space in the former municipal building, 118 S. Fraser St.

"There are about 60 officers as well as 30 staff members who were tripping over each other," he said.

The overall reaction to the new location is positive, but it might cause some confusion for students returning to State College after their winter break. The new building will serve as the location where off-campus parking tickets are paid. Those who receive parking tickets will discover an empty building on Fraser Street if they are not informed about the move.

Although the initial move-in and opening of the building have been successful, the council will meet this evening to discuss the problem of parking.

"We are concerned with parking," said Goreham. "Everyone wants parking right outside (the building). We are temporarily allowing more commuter parking, but we will compete with residential parking."

The council is reviewing the problem and is attempting to find a way to increase the amount of spaces available without taking away spaces from those who have paid a fee to be able to park along the street during the day.

"Parking is increasing on our schedules and on our minds," she said.

The council is planning an open house so members of the community will have an opportunity to tour the new building and become familiar with the different ways they will be able to use it.

"People will learn really fast that members of community organizations should use it," council member Tom Daubert said.

The open house, scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22, will include Mayor Bill Welch cutting the tape as well as guided tours of the building and its facilities and refreshments, Daubert said.

"The staff and council members will be there. Although the community is welcome at any time, the tours will include seeing areas such as the holding cells that normally would not be seen by the public," he added.