Three downtown parking garages will soon undergo much-needed renovations. Last night, the State College Borough Council approved borrowing $6.2 million to renovate the garages on Beaver Ave., Fraser St., and Pugh St.

According to WJAC, the project will start in 2017. Although these garages frequently undergo maintenance, they have not seen full updates in a long time. Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said $2.5 million — almost half the budgeted amount — will go toward renovating the Pugh Street garage. The upcoming project could be a problem for State College visitors and those who frequently use the downtown garages, especially during high-traffic weekends, like THON, football games, and Arts Fest.

Despite the fact that these new improvements will make these facilities cheaper and easier to run, Fountaine said that residents of the State College area should expect to see a slight raise in monthly parking rates downtown. A 25 cent increase is recommended for these lots. The increase in parking rates is to be discussed by the Borough Council in the next coming months.