Three decades later, what once was viewed as a detriment to that community, particularly for downtown, now is seen as an asset — especially once I-99 provides a seamless route between Blair County and the ever-expanding State College area.
Just how much of a boon the highway will bring to the communities straddling the corridor is just as uncertain as its completion date.
“I need a crystal ball to answer that,’’ Peter Swan, assistant professor of logistics and operations management at Penn State Harrisburg, said when asked about the effect
I-99 will have on the region’s economic development.
Swan said the highway’s most concrete benefit is providing a safer and less congested route to and from State College. As far as I-99 ushering in a new age of economic growth and business development in northern Blair County and points in between Interstate 80 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Swan admittedly is skeptical.
‘‘Personally, I don’t see it,’’ he said, pointing out that business development from a new highway usually occurs when it opens the door to resources and offers better access to untapped markets.
Apart from labor, Swan said he’s hard-pressed to find compelling evidence for a dramatic influx of businesses and industries because of I-99.
‘‘But, I could be wrong,’’ he said, underscoring the inherent uncertainty of predicting I-99’s lasting impact.
Another uncertainty is I-99’s ultimate success as a connector between I-80 and the turnpike. Route 322 already siphons traffic from I-80, and to access the southern end of I-99, truckers still would be forced to use the turnpike.
Swan said highways have their biggest effect where they intersect with other interstates and are within a day’s drive of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.
Some see I-99’s potential mirrored in what has happened in small communities with exits on I-80.
“Interstate 80 has had an economic impact on the areas around it,’’ said Jeremy Plant, professor with Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Public Affairs.
Plant said I-80 had been able to lure trucking distribution centers like the one Wal-Mart built near the Woodland exit.
Although I-99, when compared with other projects in the interstate highway system, is a ‘‘small-scale project,’’ it could have a substantial affect on local residents.
How much of an impact the road will have on spurring the local economy has been the subject of speculation since the connector first was conceived.
What wasn’t a part of the picture until recently was the possible tolling of I-80 — something Plant admits could have negative consequences on I-99.
“We don’t really know what the impact of tolling I-80 would be,’’ he said.
Commercial potential
Altoona real estate agent Nancy Frantz said several parties — local and out of town — have shown interest in buying a 28-acre commercial parcel a mile north of the Bald Eagle interchange on Route 220.
She said the parcel, listed at $499,000, has attracted the attention of buyers looking to locate a distribution center near I-99.
“Hopefully, the land is going to sell,” she said. “We’ve had out-of-town trucking companies coming in and looking at it.’’
Housing potential
“I just see an opportunity for houses, but not businesses,” State College businessman Brian Mannino said.
To capitalize on the growth around State College, Mannino, along with an investment in Port Matilda rental properties, built a spec house in a seven-lot subdivision he developed on Route 220 just south of the Bell Hollow intersection.
The house stands apart from most homes in that area in size and appointments. The four bedroom, two-story luxury home was built last year to attract what Mannino calls a ‘‘higher-end clientele.’’
Mannino said although the lots and spec house drew interest, he admits he probably is ahead of the curve, and he recently dropped the price by $35,000 — down from an initial asking price of $299,000.
“We just haven’t had much success,’’ Mannino said, adding that he remains optimistic. ‘‘Think it’s going to boom.’’
Mannino talked to one couple who was looking for a house in between their respective work places — one in Hollidaysburg and the other in State College.
“There’s already a movement out of State College,’’ Swan said, adding that the trend largely has been spurred by the desire to escape costs that have accompanied the Centre region’s growth, particularly higher taxes.
Tyrone real estate agent Jim Phillips said he anticipates house prices going up in Tyrone and northern Blair County, but whether they’ll jump as high as many sellers anticipate remains to be seen.
Although the area’s real estate market is “soft,” Phillips said the ripple effects of I-99 opening should start hitting the area in the spring.
“It will help homes in the middle markets and up,” Phillips said, referring to homes valued at $70,000 and up.
For now, the Tyrone area is starting to see more investment buyers from State College, but Phillips said it’s hard to tell whether I-99 will help lure more relocating home buyers until it’s fully opened.
If there is an overall upturn in the economy to go along with the highway’s opening, Phillips believes the benefits could extend as far as Tipton.
The prospect of growth around Tyrone is what brought real estate agent Dan Peters to town from what he called a “saturated” Altoona market. In business since February, Peters said he sees “potential down the road,” especially in the surrounding, undeveloped townships like Snyder and Antis.
“I’m counting on it,” he said.
He cautioned anyone looking to sell not to overestimate its value just because the interstate is opening.
Safety potential
The only thing that is certain about I-99’s legacy, Swan said, is it will save lives.
The minutes of travel time saved by drivers — local commuters and passing freight carriers — pales in comparison to the expressway’s role in decreasing traffic crashes between Bald Eagle and State College.
According to PennDOT, that notorious stretch of Route 220 was plagued by 242 accidents between 2002 and 2006, with eight people losing their lives.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7446.
