In the interest of redeveloping Sixth Street, the Borough of Lewisburg razed three houses in December and January. The apartment buildings were deemed uninhabitable under state and federal flood regulation guidelines. The Borough plans to tear down six additional houses.

The project will be funded through grants provided by both the Federal and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agencies (FEMA and PEMA). While health and safety are the primary concerns, the project will affect the University’s goal of limiting the number of students permitted to live off campus to 100 men and 100 women by the 2015 school year.

Over the past 50 years, the downtown houses have been deteriorating from multiple flooding incidences and overuse. The long-term goal is to transform South Seventh Street into a vehicular corridor and South Sixth Street into a pedestrian corridor. These renovations will make downtown Lewisburg more accessible to University students. The expansion of Hufnagle Park and a potential link with the Rail Trail at Market Street is also under consideration.