The State College Borough Council will discuss Urban Village recommendations, including plans to survey non-student residents in the area, set up meetings with neighborhood residents and Penn State officials and discuss possible funding options.

The Borough Council will discuss these recommendations, made by the Planning Commission, at their work session today at noon as part of the borough's goal to bring permanent residents to the neighborhood and revitalize the area.

The recommendations include plans to survey non-student spending patterns in the Urban Village neighborhood, specifically those of permanent residents.

The surveys will provide data on the spending habits of the population within walking distance of the Urban Village, Planning Director Carl Hess said.

Hess said the borough had previously surveyed 1,000 students from the Schreyer Honors College in order to determine possible student spending patterns.

The study was conducted in an attempt to see what students would buy if new markets were available and if there are significant differences between on-campus and off-campus student spending. Hess did not reveal the results of the survey.

Hess said the borough hopes to fund the Urban Village revitalization project through the Elm Street Program, which is a state program that provides money to be used for community improvements, such as the proposed bike path along Foster Avenue, along with other Urban Village projects.

Hess said a condition for receiving an Elm Street grant requires the borough to use budget money to match local funds desired by 10 percent.

Hess also said this would be the first time the borough will apply for the Elm Street funding, since the program has only been in existence for two years.

Hess said a consultant will be hired to identify other opportunities for funding and help the borough fill out funding applications.

Some possible sources of the funding include private foundations like the William Penn Foundation and the Heinz Endowments.

Hess said the borough would likely have to pay about $15,000 in consulting fees.

The money would come from general tax revenues.

The recommendations regarding the project reflect the results of the Urban Village market assessment report that was prepared by Economic Research Associates of Chicago.

The Planning Commission hopes the recommendations made to Borough Council will help facilitate a process that will identify the public improvements needed to make the area more attractive to a mix of residential and commercial uses, Ron Madrid, Planning Commission vice chair, said.

A series of workshops will be held to include property owners, residents, business owners, Penn State officials and other community members in discussing the findings of the market assessment.

Hess said the Planning Commission also hopes to create a redevelopment authority to help implement the recommendations of the market assessment.