Meadville officials this week are celebrating the fact that the "Impact Meadville" townhouses have attracted their first owner/occupant - more than a year after the downtown townhouses were completed.

But judging from the level of interest being expressed in downtown Warren's soon to be built riverfront townhouses, Warren Mayor Mark Phillips doesn't foresee the units sitting vacant for any length of time.

In fact, Phillips senses an air of excitement about the townhouses, one of the major components of the $50 million "Impact Warren" downtown revitalization project.

"Location, location, location" is probably the most obvious difference between the Meadville townhouses and the proposed Warren townhouses, said Phillips.

Warren's townhouses will be built parallel to Breeze Point Landing and face the Allegheny River. The townhouses will have two or three bedrooms with garden flats on the first floor. The townhouses will have porches and balconies with views of both the river and downtown Warren.

"We feel our location of owner/occupied housing offers a greater vista for the people who own these units and they will move rapidly," said Phillips.

Whereas the Warren townhouses will offer a view of the river and south shore and open onto Breeze Point Landing, Phillips said that directly behind the Meadville townhouses was a a parking lot the city had turned over to developers and was being used for storage of heavy equipment.

Although the environment has since been improved, Phillips said the surroundings of the Meadville townhouses were until recently "less than attractive."

By contrast, Phillips said, "On a weekly basis, I have at least a half dozen people ask me 'When are they going to start building them?' 'What's the lay-out going to be?' 'How do I get on the waiting list?' I don't foresee a situation similar to Meadville."

Although it is difficult to gauge how the apparent public interest in the Warren townhouses and other downtown housing will translate in terms of actual occupancy when the units become available, Phillips said he is encouraged that "right now, a lot of people are educating themselves."

Aside from the view afforded by the downtown Warren townhouses, Phillips said the location is attractive for older people who will enjoy the convenience of downtown services and activities as well as younger professionals who will be seeking housing as a result of Northwest Savings' expansion.

"Many people are excited about the ability they will have to live downtown and give up a second car," said the mayor.

Between the townhouses, housing for the elderly at Allegheny Point and market rate apartments to be built in as yet unnamed building on the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Ave., W. and Liberty St., said Phillips, "We'll have three distinct components of housing for people of all economic levels."

The downtown housing, said Phillips, is "the cornerstone of one of our hopes for 'Impact Warren' - to bring more people downtown 24/7. They'll be supporting existing services such as restaurants, hair salons, things of that nature, and hopefully lead to the growth of those businesses and possibly additional retailers."

If there is a risk involved in filling the townhouses, Phillips said, the entire risk is being assumed by the "Impact Warren" developer - Susquehanna Valley Development. Susquehanna, as opposed to the City of Warren, is assuming the risk for all elements of the project with the exception of the 629-space parking garage on Clark St.

Phillips said the start of construction of the 30 townhouses depends to some extent on construction of the new Hickory Street Bridge, scheduled to begin in early May.

"I don't have a specific projection" on a start date for the townhouses, said Phillips. "It's intertwined with the bridge construction because PennDOT says the contractor will need the use of the parking lot for access to the bridge construction site. PennDOT and Susquehanna have had conversations about that."

Susquehanna has prepared a questionnaire to determine what types of housing residents in different age groups and income ranges are interested in. Completion of the questionnaire does not obligate participants nor guarantee housing. Those who complete the questionnaire, however, will receive further information on "Impact Warren" housing. The form is available at the City of Warren administrative office in the municipal building.

Completed forms should be returned to Warrior Run Development Corporation, 5690 Susquehanna Trail, Turbotville, Pa. 17772.