Members of the State College Borough Council discussed whether Penn State should take control of a bus terminal relocation project at its work session Friday.

The Borough Council has not formally met with Penn State representatives about the possible change in project leadership. Although the borough initially asked to head the project, Penn State's West Campus development plan resulted in the need for the relocation.

The Borough Council decided that economic development should no longer be the top criterion in determining the best location for the new bus terminal, which eliminated all downtown sites, including a previously recommended Garner Street location.

Bob Finley, Penn State's assistant vice president of business and finance, said that although the Borough Council wanted the bus terminal leadership originally, he does not have a problem with it returning the responsibility to Penn State. "If they don't want to handle it anymore, that is fine," he said.

Finley said he thought that the Centre Region Council of Governments transportation committee should take part in determining the terminal's location.

"We need a larger area of governance and Council of Government transportation incorporates that," Finley said.

The Greyhound Bus station, 152 N. Atherton St., must change its location to further Penn State's West campus development.

Mayor Bill Welch said that because the West campus development is moving faster than the projected timeline for the construction of the terminal, the university offered to temporarily house the terminal.

Borough Council member Jim Meyer said the economic focus was determined by an independent committee chosen to work on the project, which included Borough Council member Elizabeth Goreham and representatives from the university, Greyhound and other groups.

"Our mind was never in that groove," Meyer said.

"The university's on a timetable. I don't think we should be heading up this committee anymore," he added.

While economic development was the main focus, Synergy Real Estate Corporation, the consultant hired by the borough, said the northwest corner of the Garner Street and East Beaver Avenue intersection should be the site for the new bus terminal.

Welch said the committee had to re-evaluate the criteria when determining the best location for the new bus terminal because of complications with the Garner Street location.

"That was attractive when the committee was looking at it because the owner was interested," he said.

Welch added that when the borough was considering the Garner Street site, the owner sent a letter to inform the borough he was no longer interested.

After Borough Council rejected the Garner Street site, it considered sites at White Course Drive, the corner of High Street and College Avenue, and the corner of Atherton Street and College Avenue, where Arby's, 106 S. Atherton St., is currently located.

Borough Council member Jeff Kern said he was concerned about the borough's current role in the process because he thought students used the bus service most often.

"Some large percentage [of bus riders] are college students," he said. "The university is going to put the station where students can get to it."

Kern said that if student accessibility is the main focus, then the university should take over.

"As long as it's convenient to students," he said.

"That's Penn State's problem, not our problem," Kern added.

Tara Simoldoni contributed to this report.