State College didn’t get Summers on Allen, but it could get more summer activities
Though “Summers on Allen” fell short of a passing vote last month, the Downtown State College Improvement District is still moving forward with extra programming to fill the summer months downtown.
Summers on Allen, a plan to turn the 100 block of South Allen Street into a pedestrian plaza from May 11 to July 3 using a $135,000 Knight Foundation grant, was rejected 4-3 by State College Borough Council in December. Several council members had safety and traffic concerns with the plan. Council member Catherine Dauler said she was concerned there wasn’t enough funding dedicated to programming.
DSCID’s promotion is called “Discover Downtown,” and it includes events and activities almost every weekend during what would have been the Summers on Allen street closure period.
“We have been working all along with various organizations to plan weekend activities, that would have enhanced the eight-week closure,” said Rob Schmidt, executive director of the DSCID. “The summer is a great time for local families to come downtown and discover all the great things we have to offer.”
DSCID scheduled activities for all but two Saturdays between Penn State graduation and the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, said Schmidt. Regularly scheduled events like Jana Marie Foundation Jam Fest, the Downtown Rotary Ice Cream Fest, Happy Valley Music Fest and the Central Pennsylvania 4th Fest parade are also included in the tally.
In addition, the DSCID is working with Centre Region Parks and Recreation, The State Theatre and Schlow Centre Region Library to plan other family-friendly activities and events during the summer in order to attract more community members downtown.
“I feel pretty confident we’re going to fill up every weekend,” he said.
This summer, because 4th Fest falls on a Saturday, DSCID is working with the 4th Fest committee and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau to expand the event to more than one day.
“First Friday will become 4th Fest Friday and be a much bigger event,” said Lee Anne Jeffries, marketing and communications director at the DSCID.
Schmidt also said DSCID is looking at doing shorter-term street closures because of interest in the community for potential activities generated by Summers on Allen.
“Other cities and towns are doing these successfully. Pratt Street in Hartford (Connecticut) is an example,” he said. Pratt Street closes temporarily for four months in the summertime, providing music, entertainment and other outdoor activities.
Schmidt said Friday-Saturday closures of Allen Street or closing other blocks downtown could be a possibility. Using a placemaking strategy called “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper,” he said, State College can make incremental changes to South Allen Street, like adding more programming, art, design or new amenities, to make it more welcoming to pedestrians and downtown visitors.
“People have come to us with ideas, ever since the whole discussion with Summers On Allen began, with examples of things they’d like to do,” he said.
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