At the State College Borough Council's work session Friday, Borough Manager Tom Fountaine made clear that the issue of eminent domain is not something the council anticipates using in the Urban Village revitalization project.

The council also discussed the Planning Commission's recommendations regarding the plan for the area, located west of College Avenue and populated mostly by students.

Borough Planning Director Carl Hess said there are other options besides eminent domain.

"Borough redevelopment authority has the power under law to condemn a building for public use, but is that something they would do at this point? I don't know," he added.

John Simbeck, a State College resident who owns Gemini Enterprises, 601 W. College Ave., addressed the council and spoke against the issue of eminent domain.

"We need to be careful with this," Simbeck said. "We don't want to create a legal hole that comes with eminent domain."

Hess addressed the council with a brief presentation regarding the Urban Village plan.

He discussed the Planning Commission's recommendations to the borough, which include surveying nonstudent spending patterns in the area, involving Penn State in the project and identifying areas of public improvements in the neighborhood.

Hess also discussed the responsibilities of a consultant, who will be hired to help the borough in the process of the plan.

The consultant would conduct workshops with neighborhood residents and business owners in the area and would assist in the pursuit of Elm Street funding.

The Elm Street program is a state program that provides money to be used for community improvements, Hess added.

Council member Elizabeth Goreham said she loved the idea of having workshops with neighborhood residents and business owners.

"I love the description of what's going to happen and the workshops; that's wonderful," she said. "I want to do this as a community."

Hess said Elm Street neighborhoods need to be at least one-half mile from a town's traditional downtown area, which would include a large area in State College. He also said the consultant would work with property owners in the area and report to the project manager of the Urban Village plan, who will be assigned once the plan moves forward.

"A consultant will help convince property owners that there are redevelopment opportunities that are financially beneficial to them," Hess said.

The borough has also discussed the possibility of adding condominiums as one of the borough's goals to bring nonstudent residents to the neighborhood.

Goreham said she was unsure if condominiums were the right type of housing to put in the Urban Village neighborhood.

"My concern is that a condo project may be what current landowners find objectionable," Goreham said.

Hess said that putting condominiums in the neighborhood has yet to be finalized and would be discussed further as the project progresses.

Hess also discussed the tentative timeline for the project, which has the plan being approved by Dec. 18 and construction beginning in January 2007.