Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023
Lewistown, PA—D1
The Sentinel
Long-awaited Town Centre taking shape BY GREG WILLIAMS Sentinel reporter
gwilliams@lewistownsentinel.com
A
project in the works for years might finally have a completion date.
The developer for the long-awaited Town Centre in State College disclosed details for the commercial redevelopment project, including a tentative timeline – at a borough planning commission meeting in May. Planned for the 200 block of South Allen Street, plans for the Town Centre include a 160-room Canopy by Hilton hotel with two restaurants and bars along with 15,000-square feet of commercial space in an H-shaped building. That structure will wrap around the existing Jeramar Building, 228 S. Allen St., which will remain.
The goal is to open the nine-story building in September 2025, the project architect told the borough planning commission. The building will be constructed on the sites of the current Allen Street municipal metered parking lot and the former Verizon building at 224 S. Allen St., which most recently housed Penn State’s Happy Valley Lunchbox. The 32 spaces in the Allen Street parking lot will be replaced with a new municipal lot, although the details are still being worked out. For years, State College officials
have envisioned a public-private redevelopment project and selected Highland Holding Group in 2017 to oversee the project. Canopy by Hilton is a relatively new brand, according to the company release, which has been around six or seven years now. “It’s a lifestyle brand created by Hilton that really tries to fit in with the neighborhoods and be unique to the property rather than being a cookie-cutter hotel that looks like the same wherever you stay in the country.” Not only does Canopy by Hilton highlight its neighborhoods with local art and furnishings, but its very food- and beverage-focused. The developer is currently working to finalize the operator for the restaurants, which will be located at the street level and on the top floor of the hotel. The hotel portion of the building will rise to 95 feet on the Allen Street parking lot site and offers 35 feet of commercial and retail space front on Allen Street. Plans call for the first through third floors of the hotel to include a parking deck with 172 parking spaces for hotel guests and staff. Electric vehicle charging stations will also be included, along with bicycles that will be made available to guests. The fourth through eighth floors of the hotel will offer guests unobstructed views toward Allen Street and the Penn State campus. The ninth floor will house a 4,268-foot restaurant and bar, additional guest rooms and two tiered rooftop terraces. The developer has not identified specific tenants for the commercial portion of the building.
Renderings courtesy of STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH
Top, a design rendering shows the State College Town Centre on the 200 block of South Allen Street as viewed looking east. Image by Nehmer via State College Borough; above, a design rendering of the State College Town Centre shows an aerial view looking east.
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