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Public backs 10-year renewal of Downtown State College Improvement District at council hearing
Summary
Council heard a presentation and multiple public comments supporting a 10-year reauthorization of the Downtown State College Improvement District; property owners will later vote, and council staff said a 60% affirmative property-owner threshold is required for renewal.
Leaders and downtown business advocates urged the borough council Tuesday to reauthorize the Downtown State College Improvement District (DID) for 10 years, saying the district’s services and events strengthen the economic and social life of downtown State College.
Leanne Jeffries, introduced to the council as the DID executive director, summarized the draft reauthorization plan and minor edits made after feedback. Jeffries said the DID focuses on services, marketing and economic development, running programs such as Live After 5 and the East End Social, coordinating property-improvement work and piloting temporary street activations. She said the DID’s clean team and event programming have boosted local businesses and promoted a more welcoming downtown.
“The organization remains focused on expanding reach, improving communication, and aligning programs with community and business needs,” Jeffries said.
Several public commenters described firsthand benefits. Mark Hunsick, president of the Highlands Civic Association and chair of the Redevelopment Authority, said the DID helps preserve downtown as a shared community space and supports events and programs that draw residents and visitors. “The DID recognizes the importance of downtown business support, but even more importantly, the need to keep downtown welcoming to all,” Hunsick said.
Erica Quinn, who identified herself as a College Township resident and a longtime collaborator with the DID on events and projects, credited DID staff with helping businesses reopen and facilitating a large mural project and the East End Social activation. “If people ask how that happened downtown, the answer is the downtown improvement district,” Quinn said.
Damien Cabrera, a DID clean-team pathfinder, described routine maintenance work at the district’s edges and urged council members to tour district boundaries to see where the service ends and where additional coverage could be considered.
Council staff explained next steps: the council will distribute a reauthorization plan to property owners within the DID boundaries and those property owners will vote on renewal. Borough staff said an affirmative vote from 60% of property owners in the district is required for reauthorization and that no boundary or assessment-rate changes are proposed in the current draft.
Council closed the public hearing after in-person comment and will proceed with the administrative steps needed to notify and ballot property owners.
What’s next: property owners within the DID boundaries will receive the reauthorization plan and a ballot; borough staff said 60% of property owners must vote in favor for the district to be reauthorized for 10 years.
