Penn State is looking to buy land on North Atherton Street in a neighborhood that the State College Borough Council has wanted to revamp for years -- and council members are excited.

"It could possibly make [Penn State] more enthusiastic and add a little more importance to what we are doing in the Urban Village," Borough Planning Director Carl Hess said.

Pending approval from the Board of Trustees at today's meeting, Penn State has plans to purchase a 1.5-acre parcel of land located in the Urban Village, which encompasses about 37 acres west of Atherton Street. Its borders stretch from the newly developed West Campus to Calder Way and downtown State College.

The university has said it has no immediate plans for the land, but the council has plans for the Urban Village neighborhood that have been in the works for nearly fifteen years.

Council member Tom Daubert said he had positive feelings about Penn State's possible purchase of the land.

"We need Penn State's help in order to move this thing along; I can't see that this is going to hurt the Urban Village," Daubert said. "This is a positive thing."

State College Mayor Bill Welch said Penn State's potential purchase of this land would not cause any major changes in the borough's plans for the Urban Village neighborhood.

"This does not change any of the Urban Village plans, it just in some ways simplifies things in that PSU would now border the Urban Village on the north and the east," Welch said.

He also said Penn State might have more of a vested interest in the Urban Village neighborhood if it went ahead and made the purchase of the land on North Atherton Street.

Hess said if Penn State goes ahead with the purchase of the land, it would not cause any major changes in the current plan for the revitalization of the Urban Village neighborhood, even though Penn State might have different plans than a private developer.

"At this point in time, no, it doesn't change anything," Hess said.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said Penn States finds the parcel of land to be a "key" piece of property.

"Some of the new university construction on that end of campus during the past few years has really boosted the look of the area and popularity among students, faculty, employees and visitors," Mahon said.

He said Penn State thinks that, given time and the purchase of the land parcel, the area can be further enhanced. He also said it

might give others in the neighborhood the impetus to launch projects in the future.

Hess said the possibility of Penn State owning land located in the Urban Village neighborhood could be a very positive thing, although he added that Penn State had always been enthusiastic toward the plans for Urban Village, even prior to its purchase.

"They were already onboard and ready to work with us a month or two months ago, I don't anticipate this being a real dramatic change in their level of support because they have supported the project all along," Hess said.

Borough Assistant Manager Tom Kurtz said he also thinks Penn State's acquisition of the land will make them more involved in the Urban Village revitalization plan.

"The Urban Village plan is being funded in part by the university, so they have already had an interest in the Urban Village plan, having them as a property owner makes them doubly involved," Kurtz said.