College Avenue will soon get a facelift: an upscale hotel, restaurant, and commercial mall will be built above the existing Greenwich Court and Cell Block properties.

At Thursday's planning commission, architect Ed Olsen presented plans for the hotel, which would be located on College Avenue, between Sowers and Garner Streets. The hotel will encompass the entire block, excluding the area which currently houses McLanahan's, 414 E. College Ave., and Baby's Restaurant, 131 S. Garner St.

"I thought the design was attractive - that's an important corner linking town and campus," planning director Carl Hess said.

Olsen was representing local businessman Charles Herlocher, who owns the existing properties that would become the base of the hotel. There will be four floors built atop the existing four floors, Olsen said.

"I think it's a very interesting idea and I think it could be a key development in redefinition in the area," Borough Council member Elizabeth Goreham said. The nine-story hotel will offer shopping, lodging and dining options, with plans to break ground in 2009, Olsen said.

"The first floor will be an open-air commercial mall," Olsen said. Hess and other planning commission members are excited about the presence of additional commercial venues downtown.

"In general, the more ground-level retail there is, the better it is for health of downtown," Hess said.