Tensions between the State College Borough and nearby Ferguson Township may slow the municipalities' plans to revitalize the area west of Atherton Street, where students account for 98 percent of residents.

State College Borough Council member Cathy Dauler said the tension between the township and the borough "goes a long way back."

"When the [Centre Region Council of Governments] would be working on some mutually beneficial project, it would seem that Ferguson Township would be the most reluctant to participate," Dauler said.

But Ferguson Township officials said they expect to cooperate on the revitalization plan.

"You get a lot of people that like to think that Ferguson won't cooperate, and they confuse cooperating with giving in. We are more than happy to work with any of these people," Ferguson Township Supervisor George Pytel said. "Ferguson Township keeps getting blamed for not cooperating because we just don't concede with what everyone else wants."

Urban Village -- the area west of Atherton -- is in need of redevelopment mainly because of run-down student housing, safety concerns and a lack of permanent residents, according to council. Both municipalities will divide the $27,500 cost for a planning consultant from the Chicago-based Economics Research Associates. The borough will pay 60 percent, and the township will pay 40 percent because 40 percent of the project lies within the township, Dauler said.

In a council meeting late last month, some members expressed concern that the township may not work with the borough to redevelop Urban Village.

"Some of us are optimistic that if [Ferguson Township] can see that [Urban Village] will benefit their community, they will agree with us," Planning Director Carl Hess said.

It was also difficult working with the township on the Schlow Centre Region Library on the corner of Beaver Avenue and Allen Street, Dauler said.

Some council members feel that the borough's plans shouldn't depend so much on the timeline of the township.

"If we can't reach agreements, the borough should still move along," Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said.

The township has already agreed to pay its share of the cost, Ferguson Township Vice Chairman Richard Killian said. "We've already paid a substantial share for the cost for the consultant," Killian said. "That's one indication of our commitment and wanting to be involved."

State College Mayor Bill Welch said although there may be difficulty, the municipalities should be able to reach a compromise. "Whatever happens in Ferguson might not blend seamlessly into what happens in the borough," he said. "But I would hope that Ferguson Township, the borough and university can come up with a coherent plan for ongoing redevelopment in that area."

Once plans are voted on by council, which Dauler said would happen in the near future, the next step would be to work with the township on a master plan. Dauler added that the borough is considering quickly beginning work on the first phase, which involves the section closest to Atherton Street, since many of the districts involved in the Urban Village are located in the borough.

Phases one through three are in the borough, while four and five are in the township, Dauler said.

"So, I think that Ferguson Township would have lots of time for preliminary discussions with the borough and the university," she said. "It isn't as if they would feel that they are under a lot of pressure to make decisions quickly."

Council member Elizabeth Goreham is hopeful that both regions can work together concerning Urban Village.

"It will come down to our ability to find a way to meet the objectives of both municipalities, which is not necessarily easy," she said.