The State College Borough Council has temporarily halted plans for a proposed downtown bus terminal as a result of several concerns discussed Tuesday by the borough's transportation commission.

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

After Synergy Real Estate Corporation recommended a site earlier this month at the corner of Garner Street and East Beaver Avenue, the borough transportation commission made a list of concerns to be passed along to Borough Council.

Transportation commission member Paul Jovanis said the list included problems with traffic congestion in the area, funding for the project and the necessity for economic development versus just building a bus terminal.

When considering the Garner Street location, the council looked at an opportunity for economic development by possibly adding parking, stores and restaurants to the bus facility.

"If we're going to have a bus terminal and have a bus terminal near the core by the students, then why not have economic development?" Jovanis asked. "People still don't see it the way the committee sees it."

Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said if parking were part of the project's plans, the borough would not be able to handle the additional financial burden.

"I think the borough has some concern about managing two parking projects," he said. "We're spread pretty thin with the existing project," he added, referring to the construction of a parking garage at the corner of Fraser Street and Beaver Avenue.

Chris Falzone, Transportation Commission chair, said the traffic conditions around the Garner Street location have not been properly evaluated.

"I don't think that anyone has thought about the impact of putting it there," he said.

He added that although the increase in bus traffic would be a problem, he is mostly concerned with car traffic increases.

"The cars that want to get into that facility ... would further exacerbate an already congested area," Falzone said.

Council members said it might be easier to build a bus terminal next to a proposed west campus commuter parking garage, adjacent to the White Course Apartments, if the Garner Street site is not a viable economic possibility.

Penn State Transportation Director Teresa Davis said the borough had not approached Penn State about the possibility of combining the bus terminal with the proposed west campus commuter parking deck, scheduled for completion in 2007.

"That was a surprise," she said. "We haven't looked at it as far as studying it, but there isn't enough room to build both."

Synergy President Allan Wampler said possible traffic congestion at the Garner Street location was one of the 12 to 15 different criteria considered during the evaluation of various sites. He added that Synergy provided the information but would not take part in the ultimate decision-making process.

"The council has decided to table it for a while," he said.

Falzone said the distance from campus and town as well as a lack of accessibility to a combined west campus facility would not benefit students or local residents.

"Something adjacent to campus would be nicer," he said. "But I'm open-minded. Basically we're giving them the reasons to think about it."