Bridge or no bridge, construction of riverfront townhouses in downtown Warren could still get underway this fall.

The original plan was to hold off on construction of the 30 townhouses until construction of the new Hickory Street Bridge was completed in November. The area of the "Island" Parking Lot where the townhouses will be constructed is being used as a staging area for bridge construction.

However, PennDOT now says that weather and high river levels this summer have resulted in unavoidable delays and the bridge will not be completed until at least next spring.

But Warren Mayor Mark Phillips said the delay in building the bridge will not necessarily result in a set-back in the timetable for construction of the riverfront townhouses.

Phillips admitted when he first learned of the delay in building the bridge, "We had thought that," meaning he thought building of the townhouses would also be delayed.

But the situation has been discussed with PennDOT, said the mayor, and he has been assured "all the materials and supplies they are storing in the area will be completely used or relocated this fall."

Once the bridge construction materials are removed from the parking lot, said Phillips, "We'll have the opportunity to start the townhouses." "Weather permitting," said Phillips, "there is still an opportunity to start on the townhouses this fall."

Each townhouse will have two or three upstairs bedrooms with garden flats on the first floor. Each townhouse will have a porch and a balcony with views of both the Allegheny River and downtown Warren. Each tenant will have at least one parking space beside the townhouse and one in the parking garage.

In another matter related to "Impact Warren" -the $50 million downtown revitalization project - Phillips said he expects demolition of three vacant houses across Clark St. from Loranger Manufacturing will take place within the next three weeks.

Demolition of the three houses, said Phillips, will allow Perry Construction, the contractor for the new five-level, 630-space parking garage, to move construction equipment into the area.

The contractor is currently doing preliminary work and surveying the "footprint" for the parking garage. Motorists who have parked in the vicinity of the Northwest Savings Operations Center at the foot of Liberty St. are also being advised they need to relocate their vehicles, said Phillips.

To help replace some of the parking spots lost to construction activity, Phillips said the city has established a temporary parking lot just south of Langdon Dr.