State College Borough Council voted 4-2 on Monday to deny a developer’s request to close a portion of Hetzel Street for about two years during construction of a high-rise apartment building.
Chicago-based Core Spaces and its construction manager Massaro Corporation sought to close Hetzel Street between East College Avenue and East Calder Way from Dec. 22 until Nov. 28, 2023 for construction of the 12-story mixed-use building. Pedestrian access would be maintained on the east side of Hetzel, but the closure would have meant through-traffic would be prohibited on Hetzel from East College Avenue to East Beaver Avenue.
Under the rejected proposal, the road would be open for one lane of traffic during special event periods such as Penn State football weekends and student apartment move-in. Vehicle and pedestrian access would be maintained on Calder and College, though a covered, lighted walkway would be installed adjacent to the project site on College, where five parking spaces also
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It’s no secret that downtown State College has turned a corner in the architectural world. Gradually going from six to eight-story buildings like Beaver Hill to new modern high-rises like the HERE has left State College feeling a little less like the borough we all used to know.
It seems like every time students come back for a new fall semester a new building is being worked on downtown. It first started in 2016 with the 12-story Fraser Centre at 217 W. Beaver Ave.
But the Fraser Centre is not student housing. It was built to bring in adults outside the immediate Penn State community to the downtown scene.