After 11 years of business in downtown State College, Rude Boyz, 200 W. College Ave., plans to close its doors March 15.

Rude Boyz sells island surf-themed merchandise such as sunglasses, watches, shoes and T-shirts. It also sells Halloween costumes and accessories.

Owner Gary Filkins said he hopes to sell most of the store's merchandise during the 50-percent-off closing sale that started yesterday.

Filkins also owns 2000 Degrees, 202 W. College Ave., and is a manager at Gift Adventures, 137 E. Beaver Ave.

Filkins said increasing operating costs, such as rent and utilities, and the changing atmosphere of the downtown area are reasons he is closing his business. "We're losing some of our individual stores," Filkins said. "We've lost some of the uniqueness as a shopping district."

Filkins said Rude Boyz used to have a lot more out-of-town customers, but since more shopping centers have moved into small towns, there has been a decrease in business.

"We're not seeing the visiting traffic we used to," he said.

Filkins added that the amount of student traffic downtown has changed, especially in the last 10 years.

"The students are more mobile," Filkins said. "The kids can go home on weekends much more [and shop there]."

Bob Portland (junior-mechanical engineering) said he was surprised to see the sale signs in the windows. "When a store's been here so long, it's surprising to see it go," Portland said.

Andrew White (senior-secondary education) said this might be part of a continuing trend that involves privately owned stores closing downtown, and instead, being replaced with chain stores.

"It's kind of disappointing," White said.

Downtown Improvement District (DID) director Teresa Sparacino said local businesses set the community apart from other areas.

"The chains provide a product and a service a lot of people look for," Sparacino said. "[Local businesses] tend to give back more to the community."

Tracy Rosen (freshman-animal bioscience) said the increase in chain stores is in response to student demand.

"The bigger chains are driving out the smaller, more unique stores," Rosen said.

Gift Adventures manager Jodi Cook said students should still have quite a few options to buy Halloween costumes and accessories.

"We definitely get a lot of college students [shopping for Halloween], but we get a lot of local people as well."

Sparacino said Filkins has been very involved in State College. "Gary Filkins is one of our most favorite local business owners because of what he's added to the downtown," she said.

Filkins has owned retail stores in State College for about 30 years, but he said he doesn't plan on opening another business.

"At this point in my life, I don't have a lot of misgivings about closing," he said.

Currently, no business owners have committed to taking over the property.

But Sparacino said the DID would like to eventually attract a women's professional clothing store, and added that the area vacated by Rude Boyz could be a possible location, though nothing is definite yet.

"It's been part of our desire for the downtown," she said.

Heather Tyson contributed to this report.