Conceptual plans are being created for a town center in Ferguson Township that would combine residential and commercial areas to create a downtown all its own.

Project landscape architect Mary Beth McCubbin said that the project would be entering an entitlement process with the township in the near future to accommodate and possibly change some zoning ordinances, because this type of project is new to the area.

The process could take a minimum of six months, and there is no timeline for the project at this time.

Landowner John Imbt said his family bought about 170 acres in the 1960s, and it has been passed down through his family since that time.

This property is now the location of the conceptual town center, located between Circleville Farm and the newly constructed portion of Blue Course Drive.

The idea to use his land for "mixed-use" development was his own. Imbt said this concept is similar to Allen Street in downtown State College, where businesses are located on the street level of many buildings, and apartments and offices are located on the upper floors.

He will still own some of the property, but the majority of the land will be sold as individual lots.

Imbt said he looked for the best people in the country to design the concept, finally choosing Design Workshop, based in Denver, Colo.

"They're very concerned about the environment and habitat. That was key for me picking them," he said.

At this point, there is no set design, which could take up to another year to create, but there is a concept plan, Imbt said.

Todd Johnson, partner and landscape architect at Design Workshop, said the concept plan is to create a town center with a cluster of shops with apartments above acting as the "nucleus" of the town.

Other living choices, like single-family homes, would be located farther away from the town center and commercial areas but would be close enough to allow residents to walk there.

The project also incorporates an added forest and woodland plan to give the area a natural, open space, Johnson said.

A church and a school could also be constructed in the area in the future, Imbt said.

Price ranges for the houses and apartments have not been determined, but they will vary based on the houses' locations within the area, Imbt said.

He also said that the houses and condominiums will develop slowly and be constructed by custom builders, so the buildings will vary in their styles and sizes.

"We're not taking a cookie-cutter approach," Imbt said.

Johnson said housing is not necessarily being built with college students in mind, but he would like to see a range of people living in the area.

"That's what makes it an interesting place to live," he said.

Retail and commercial areas will be smaller stores, such as coffee shops and clothing stores, not big franchises, Johnson said.

McCubbin said another aspect of the community would be a concept she called "live-work," in which a person could live upstairs and work downstairs, all in the same building.

Johnson said the central idea is to bring people closer together and keep them in close proximity to one another, creating a better sense of community and better access to commercial and retail areas.

"It's not the destination, but the convenience," he said.