Downtown State College buildings demolished for two new high-rises. What to know
Demolition work has started in downtown State College to make way for two new high-rise buildings.
Demolition recently began at the old McDonald’s building on East College Avenue, where The Mark, a 12-story multi-family residential apartment building with commercial and retail space, is planned to take its place.
The State College Planning Commission previously reviewed the plans from Landmark Properties, an off-campus housing developer headquartered in Athens, Georgia, that owns five other student apartment complexes in State College. Landmark purchased the McDonald’s and surrounding properties at 111 Sowers St. in the fall 2024.
The plans include three levels of underground parking for residents and retail customers, about 6,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, about 8,600 square feet of retail space on the second floor and 159 residential units that will range from studio apartments to five bedrooms. In total, there will be 515 beds.
There will be an open air courtyard on the second floor and a club room and rooftop deck with a pool on the 12th floor. Additionally, the plans include a gym, club room and study spaces on the second floor.
It has not yet been announced what retailers will be on the ground floor of The Mark. Although preliminary plans showed McDonald’s would be one of the retailers, the developer told the planning commission earlier this year that that is no longer the case. The plans still included a walk-up window for the space and the developer said at the time, they were talking with national fast food and fast-casual restaurants that were interested.
The developers previously anticipated the building to open in August 2028.
On the other end of downtown, demolition began at the former BioLife building at 321 W. Beaver Ave. for the area’s first “condo hotel,” the Nittany Residence Club. The nine-story building will have 70 one- to three- bedroom units, and amenities like a private fitness center, covered parking and a lobby coffee shop.
Developers ceremoniously broke ground on the project earlier this fall and celebrated the project. Gary Brandeis, CEO of Scholar Hotels, which will oversee hotel operations, at the time said the individual condominium owned and hotel project is the first of its kind in a college market. These types of projects are often seen in places like southern Florida, the Caribbean and Las Vegas, he said.
The units at the condo hotel will be sold through Kissinger Bigatel and Brower Realtors and then owned by an individual — but they’ll then have the option to rent them out through a hotel program. That gives owners a way to offset some costs. The units cannot be used as a full-time residence, which means owners can’t stay there for more than eight consecutive months in a year. Students are not allowed to live there.
Units will have high-end finishes and are priced ranging from $700,000 and up. The opening is anticipated for August 2027.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 5:55 AM.