The contract for the Urban Village revitalization plan was awarded to the Delta Development Group Inc., at the Aug. 21 meeting of the State College Borough Council after the council originally asked for more time to discuss the project.
The area known as the Urban Village encompasses about 37 acres west of Atherton Street. Its borders stretch from the newly developed West Campus on the north and Calder Way and downtown State College on its south border.
The council has a plan to revitalize the neighborhood and bring more permanent residents and businesses to the area. The plan calls for the renovation of houses and buildings that are in disrepair and improvements to the general aesthetic of the neighborhood. The plan has been in the works for about 15 years between the council and Penn State.
Council agreed to award the contract for phases one and two of the Urban Village Revitalization Plan to the Delta Development Group after several weeks of discussion.
Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said phases one and two of the plans are slated to cost up to $95,000. The phase three cost will be decided after phases one and two are completed, he said. He also said that before any work begins on phase three of the project, the council will be required to appoint a new consultant for reappoint the Delta Development Group.
Fountaine said the council accepted the Urban Village market feasibility study in December and instructed the staff to begin implementing recommendations. During the first part of the year, a project scope was developed and approved by council for the Urban Village Revitalization Plan.
Fountaine said the staff then solicited proposals from qualified consultants and a review committee examined the proposals, narrowing the list to four. The selection committee interviewed the four consultant teams and the Delta Development Group was selected for the project.
Goreham recommended that business owners located in the Urban Village neighborhood be invited to discuss aspects of the project so their voices and their input could be taken into consideration.
Collegian Staff Writer Lauren Boyer contributed to this report.
