‘A reason for people to come downtown.’ Summers on Allen has wide support, but concerns remain
A proposal to temporarily turn the 100 block of South Allen Street in State College into a pedestrian plaza had split favor among those who attended the project’s public hearing Monday night.
Summers On Allen, a rebranded pedestrian mall plan from Groznik PR and Centre Foundation, would involve closing the 100 block of South Allen Street to all vehicle traffic from May 11 to July 5 and converting the space into a “pop-up park.” Citing a demand for public outdoor gathering spaces in downtown State College, Brad Groznik told members of council in October that the space would create a draw for visitors downtown and increase area business sales.
Using a $100,000 Knight Foundation grant secured by Centre Foundation, Groznik PR will contract Boalsburg-based company Landscape II to set up cafe-style seating and Adirondack chairs for up to 100 people, a children’s play area, a small performance area and other landscaping on Allen Street. Regular events like Happy Valley Music Festival and the Jana Marie Foundation’s JAM Fest plan to use the space, and new events like yoga retreats and salsa dancing lessons are proposed.
Though the proposal says the project will run until July 5, the pedestrian plaza will be cleared by midnight on July 3, before the start of the Independence Day Parade and Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Twenty of 22 businesses located on the 100 block of Allen Street support the plaza, and the pop-up park’s organizers have mapped out a plan to accommodate business loading zones for deliveries.
Yet despite seemingly widespread business support, several people who spoke during the project’s public hearing opposed it on the basis of economic hardship it would bring to some of the businesses, and safety issues it could pose.
District Judge Carmine Prestia, also a member of the Alpha Fire Company, said that fire trucks would be strained for space in the event of an emergency. Citing three fires on Allen Street since 1970, he said that safety issues should be at the forefront of council’s decision.
An employee of Rapid Transit Sportswear, one of two businesses on the 100 block of Allen Street opposed to the eight-week street closure, said the plan “will make it harder for customers to get to our store” and is concerned about lack of parking for elderly customers. Rapid Transit Sportswear, he said, is one of the few that gets “busier” when students leave for the summer.
Rosalie Bloom-Brooks, a longtime resident of State College who works at Woodring’s Floral Gardens, also said any time there’s a street closure, business at the floral shop suffers.
Yet many people who spoke in favor of the temporary street closure said it could provide much needed urban community outdoor space and more appeal for young professionals the borough is trying to attract.
Liz Bennett, a resident of South Allen Street, said the 100 block of the road has weathered many closures and “somehow downtown still survives.”
The closure could also serve as a boon for pedestrians like herself, she said. “If there are fewer cars in the downtown area where the plaza (is), I believe more people will be coming out and walking and enjoying themselves,” she said.
Both Ian Boswell and James Tierney said a street closure, even a temporary one, could serve as a draw for young professionals to come downtown, bringing State College on a similar level with small cities that have outdoor pedestrian malls.
Tierney said he’s known three friends who have left the State College area for places like Boulder, Colorado, Charlottesville, Virginia and Burlington, Vermont — all college towns with outdoor pedestrian plazas — citing a lack of growth opportunities. By passing a temporary street closure measure for Summers on Allen, he said, State College could send a signal that young people and economic development are important to them.
Jason Huber, a regular Pop Up Ave vendor, said Summers on Allen could be a great draw for people to get off campus or to come downtown when town is usually quiet. Expanding on Huber’s point, Downtown State College Improvement District Executive Director Rob Schmidt said the purpose of Summers on Allen is to keep downtown State College attractive during one of the slowest times for business all year.
The outdoor seating will allow restaurants to expand their outdoor dining offerings, something the DSCID has been working on for months, he said. Parking, too, shouldn’t be a problem, he said, because the closure would only affect 19 parking spaces and typically the downtown garages have an excess of parking from late May until early July.
“Our businesses will be opening their doors on May 11 ... they need customers,” he said. “And it’s the slowest time of the year. So we need a reason for people to come downtown.”
State College Borough Council will take action on the proposal at its Dec. 16 meeting.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 6:49 AM.
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