What Will It Be Now?

LOCK HAVEN – A developer has plans for a commercial project at the city’s former Painter Stadium/football practice field site, but no one will say what the plans are.

Patrick and Pamela Bigatel of Seattle bought the town homes at Susquehanna Square in January of last year for $610,000 from a State College-based owner, TownHomes of Susquehanna Square LP.

But according to information at a meeting of the Lock Haven Planning Commission Wednesday night, the Bigatels have been approached by an unnamed commercial developer for inclusion of the town home site in a larger commercial venture to utilize additional TownHomes acreage. The existing town homes built five years ago on what was once the Lock Haven High School practice field are to be torn down, according to information given the planning commission.

No one at this point is saying what the new project is, but it needs the city to rezone the parcel from residential to commercial. The planning commission members present gave their approval and city council must also give its okay. Mayor Bill Baney and council vice-president Steve Stevenson told the record-online Thursday that no one in City Hall is privy to what is proposed; they indicated that would not necessarily prevent council approval of the rezoning request.

An area developer familiar with the project said, “There is a confidentiality agreement in place. When the time is appropriate and legal” the development information will be released.

Realtor Machell Alexander-Bressler provided information to the planning commission Wednesday. She said the proposal would be appropriate to the neighborhood, but would not include a restaurant. Two restaurants had been part of the discussion when the old football stadium had been torn down to make way for the Fairfield Inn now located on the south end of the old stadium site. The hotel would not be affected by the new development plans.