Days Inn by Wyndham Penn State on South Pugh Street in State College is planning to replace its aging parking deck with a similarly-sized two-story structure.
Representatives for the project presented a preliminary land development plan to State College Planning Commission on Thursday. The two-story structure — which would be built in the same location along East Foster Avenue and South Pugh Street — would have 129 spaces, three more than the current one. Combined with the underground parking beneath the hotel, which is not affected by the project, the hotel will have 181 total parking spaces.
State College officials had for about two years discussed the possibility a public-private partnership with the hotel to construct a larger replacement parking structure that would have included space for parking for the neighboring municipal building as well as providing additional downtown public parking.
That partnership, however, ‘did not materialize,’ Planning Director Ed LeClear said.
‘There is not partnership with the borough on this project at this point,’ LeClear said.
The preliminary plan submitted to the borough calls for angled spaces with traffic circulation changed to one-way.
‘It makes the traffic pattern a little bit more conducive than what it is right now,’ said Mark Crompton, of PennTerra Engineering.
Entrance and exit would remain unchanged. The elevated pedestrian walkway connecting the deck to the hotel would be moved from the current end near A Alley to the Pugh Street end, with a new bridge and ramp into the hotel and a new corridor leading into the lobby.
‘It’s going to make it much simpler pedestrian flow getting in and out of the hotel,’ architect Peter Laucks said.
The structure will be cast-in-place concrete and along Foster Avenue will be open columns with sconces for nighttime lighting.
Security lighting and cameras will be in place inside the deck, which also will have two electric vehicle charging stations per floor. Laucks said the design is flexible to add more charging stations in the future.
The State College Design Review Board suggested additional plantings along Pugh and Foster around the structure and noted that measures to screen neighboring buildings from headlights will be required.
A demolition plan is still under review.
Highlands Civic Association President Mark Huncik inquired about plans for hotel parking when the existing structure is demolished and the new one is under construction, noting concerns that guests might park on neighborhood streets.
Mark Morath, president of the hotel owner Centre Hotel Associates, said guests would first be directed to the other available parking on the property and then, potentially, the borough’s Pugh Street garage, which he said has ‘adequate excess parking.’ Morath said there have been preliminary discussions with the borough about temporarily using spaces in the Pugh Street garage while the hotel’s new deck is constructed. A shuttle would be available for guests who cannot or don’t wish to walk from the garage to the hotel.
A final land development plan will be required to be submitted before construction would begin.
