A Penn State student's science project prompted a four-hour shutdown of the area surrounding the Fraser Street parking garage after the police responded to a report of a "suspicious package" early Friday afternoon.
The package prompted evacuations of several businesses in the area, as well as the State College Senior Citizen Center, 131 S. Fraser St., and the office of Magisterial District Justice Carmine Prestia. Police taped off a large perimeter around the garage from Beaver Avenue to College Avenue and from Allen Street to Miller Alley, the alley adjoining the municipal parking lot off of Fraser Street.
Patrons of the Fraser Street parking garage were unable to retrieve their cars for the duration of the shutdown.
The State College Police Department said they received a call about a suspicious package on top of the pay station at the parking garage at 11:39 Friday morning. They determined the package was suspicious upon arrival, then called in the Alpha Fire Co., the Penn State Hazardous Materials team and the Pennsylvania State Police Hazardous Device Team, State College Police Sgt. Mark Argiro said. The FBI also responded, Argiro said.
Argiro said the package was determined to be a student project to help people with diabetes measure their insulin, complete with an LED screen and 9-volt batteries.
Police evacuated all businesses in the Fraser Plaza during the shutdown, even closing off the back of Webster's Café, 128 S. Allen Street. Evacuees crowded the streets downtown, milling about in the early spring heat.
Josh Guiher, owner of the Fraser Street Deli, 109 S. Fraser St., said he lost business because of the shutdown. He said he passed out menus to draw people in.
"It's not great timing," he said. "As a businessperson, I would have liked to see [the investigation] go faster."
Police said the owner of the science project, who is a Penn State student, probably will not face charges related to the incident because her actions were accidental. Police would not comment as to what happened to the project as of press time yesterday.
Collegian Staff Writer Brandon Taylor contributed to this report.
