After months of discussion, a real estate consultant told the State College Borough Council Friday that the best location for a new bus terminal would be at Beaver Avenue and Garner Street, replacing Citizens Bank, 345 E. Beaver Ave.

The terminal will replace the current Greyhound Bus station, 152 N. Atherton St.

"From a financial point of view, it's what gives the biggest bang for your buck," said Allan Wampler, president of Synergy Real Estate Corporation, which studied possible sites for the new terminal. "Each site was different. Each came with upsides and downsides."

Wampler said the Garner Street location had the highest real estate value of the other locations Synergy evaluated.

He added that buses would ideally enter and exit the new facility off of East Beaver Avenue and that there would be room for parking.

"[We've] talked to the business community in that area, and there seemed to be a desire for parking," he said.

Synergy had previously narrowed down the list to four possible locations.

These locations included Garner Street and East Beaver Avenue, High Street and East College Avenue, White Course Drive, and the southwest corner of Atherton Street and West College Avenue.

Bob Finley, an assistant vice president of the finance and business commonwealth for Penn State, said because of the university's plan for the development of west campus, the Greyhound station should be relocated sooner rather than later.

"There is some urgency in moving the station," he said, adding that the projected completion date is 2007, with "usability" in 2008.

Borough Council President Tom Daubert said he was concerned about the location of the recommended site.

"The highest use is not always equated with quality," he said.

He added that he did not want excess traffic to compromise the livability of local residents in the area.

Council member Elizabeth Goreham said that those issues were taken into consideration when determining the possible implications of a Garner Street bus terminal.

"There was a great deal of concern about this project ... [and] how it would impact traffic, impact the environment and noise," she said.

Several council members voiced reservations about the Garner Street location because economic profit was part of Synergy's evaluation.

Some were concerned that the desire for improving the downtown area would outweigh the need to keep the neighborhood people-friendly.

Wampler said that one of the next steps would include a traffic study to determine the impact of the Garner Street location.

He added that because Beaver Avenue already has bus and tractor trailer traffic, the Garner Street location was more desirable instead of a location where there is currently no bus traffic.

Wampler said that owners of the properties at the Garner Street location would be shown tentative plans for the new bus terminal.

"It's just conceptual," Wampler said.

"There's a lot of potential for that site," he added.