By adding some incentives into downtown zoning, the State College Borough hopes to spur more mixed-use development downtown that will bring younger professionals closer to the business district. But will it work?

While it's understandable that the borough wants to bring more permanent residents downtown, this plan is not a slam dunk for it to produce more business succesfully.

The proposal introduced to Borough Council at its May 9 meeting outlined a new Commercial Incentive District that would blanket the west side of downtown, near Atherton Street. The borough would permit developers to ease zoning restrictions on requirements such as building height and parking spaces by meeting certain conditions, such as building underground parking or erecting buildings with more than one use (i.e. street-level store front retail and upper-level residences or offices).

On the surface, such a proposal sounds like an intriguing idea. Bringing more residents downtown to patronize local shops with the allure of newer apartments and condominiums sounds good. But as this process moves forward, the borough must ask itself if there are enough young professionals or parents with empty-nest syndrome to support this initiative.

Yes, there are some companies around here, especially in areas such as the Science Park corridor, which may appeal to recent college graduates. They could provide jobs with good salaries that help support a more expensive downtown-living lifestyle. However, if there is a lack of space and if new buildings do arise downtown, will anyone want to live there with more congestion, passing up a suburban home with more space and no parking hassles?

At this point, there doesn't seem to be enough jobs to support more than a modest number of high-end penthouses and expensive apartments. It doesn't seem as though there are younger professors on campus currently -- and they probably couldn't afford to these new apartments. These new buildings could sit empty for months, even years.

The plan comes at a time when entertainment options are growing: the proposed Fraser Street cineplex, the new minor league baseball team playing on campus next year, the theater complex off Benner Pike near the Nittany Mall.

Those who are developing these projects may feel that there is enough money out there in the yuppie crowd to help sustain these enterprises.

Finding clientele to pay $1,200 for a two-bedroom apartment versus a higher priced, new condominium off Atherton Street is a different ball game -- and it's a major risk that could alter the feel of State College for years to come.