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Max Kayhart calls them "his regulars," the employees from the Westmoreland County Courthouse and downtown Greensburg banks and law firms who come almost daily to his Mean Bean Cafe for lunch.

He hopes to add to the list of familiar faces in his Main Street business, thanks to a new state office building and Seton Hill University's arts center that are proposed for downtown Greensburg.

"I'm anticipating it," Kayhart said of the office's building bringing more customers. "I don't think it will make a gigantic impact, but I think it will help a little bit."

Others are even more optimistic, seeing the construction as a boon for restaurants, retailers and bars.

"I think the whole downtown area will benefit," said Tom Sochacki, Central Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce president.

"The more people you bring in, the more money they will spend. Everybody won't leave exactly at 4 p.m." when the courthouse closes.

With the new the state office building, 265 employees from four state Labor and Industry offices scattered throughout the city will move to the one location on North Main Street next year.

Also in 2006, Seton Hill officials want to begin construction of the 70,000-square-foot arts center off North Harrison Avenue, between The Train Station and West Otterman Street.

Both the office building and arts center would be within walking distance of Kayhart's cafe and other businesses, such as Diane Robb's Soup's On Cafe. Both eateries, located a few doors apart, opened in April.

"It's on the main street, and all the new renovations they'll be doing should bring a lot of business," Robb said. "I just feel that this is going to fit perfectly."

Chad Milliron, manager of Derby's International Foods on South Pennsylvania Avenue, sees his business benefiting, too. Derby's was purchased by new owners a few months ago.

"Hopefully, it will generate a lot of business," Milliron said.

Greensburg officials feel the same way, if problems such as a lack of parking and converting old buildings into new uses can be solved.

Greensburg administrator Sue Trout and city planner Barb Ciampini said the downtown projects have sparked interest -- if no firm commitments -- from investors and developers.

"I've just noticed that as a result of the buzz about the two buildings being built, the developers are calling -- and they're calling more frequently" to see if there are any available buildings for sale, Trout said.

The vacant buildings that dot Main Street include the former Barclay Bank and the Bair Building.

"We're hoping these two projects are the catalyst that create a great future, that all the buildings are occupied by either businesses or residents," Trout said.

Ciampini said she hopes the development makes Greensburg "more of a destination."

"(We want) people to come here for culture and education and maybe even shopping," she said.

The inquiries include developers interested in turning some buildings into residential units. "Loft apartments" for -- as Ciampini puts it -- empty-nesters or middle-to-upper-income "professionals that don't want to cut the grass" also have been discussed, but no plans are yet in place.

"That loft apartment living is what seems to be the buzz," Ciampini said.

Sochacki said more downtown apartments would be good for Greensburg.

"I think a lot of the downtown can be turned into apartments or condominiums where people can work and live in Greensburg," he said.

Sochacki said he believes the downtown would benefit if a college bookstore were added to the landscape.

A survey of Greensburg Salem School District teenagers found that they want to stay downtown rather than venture off to stores outside the city, Trout said.

"I was so shocked to hear them say that," she said. "They just like the urban setting. They want to sit along the streetscape, having a cup of coffee and having a gathering place."

The interest in the Troutman building also is up, Ciampini said. But again, no firm plans are in place.

Ciampini said more tours have been given of the Troutman building in the last six months than in all of 2004.

The city also is involved with PennDOT in improving the look of Main Street through the Hometown Streetscape program.

The biggest apparent stumbling block to downtown development is parking.

Ciampini recalled a conversation she had with one developer. "He asked if he bought some buildings and created some residential units along Main Street, would the city be willing to work something out over parking. I said, 'Yes.'

"Whether or not he's purchasing anything, I don't know. But the interest is there."

Creating a site for the state office building, built on part of a former city parking lot, resulted in the loss of 31 parking places. The Seton Hill project would trim 26 more slots.

City officials are in talks to buy properties to turn them into parking areas. The goal is to have at least 450 new spaces in the downtown.

The nearly $1 million to be earned by Greensburg through selling land for the state office building will go toward buying that land.

Employees of the state office building will have off-street parking, city officials said.

Another issue is using the buildings as they are, which is the idea behind revitalization.

"It's easy to create residential apartments on (open) land," Ciampini said. "We're talking about an urban center where structures exist. It's a little more challenging."

Larry Segal, executive director of Gov. Ed Rendell's housing and revitalization program, said moving part of the Seton Hill complex directly into the downtown is a key factor in redevelopment.

"To bring Seton Hill into the downtown is really exciting and offers just a great potential," he said.

Officials are negotiating to take eight properties for the university arts center and related parking.

So far, Seton Hill and its partners have secured $13.4 million, or about three-quarters of the funding for the arts center project, according to a university spokeswoman.

The project also is awaiting word on possible federal funds.

Consultant Mullin and Lonergan Associates Inc. projected in 2004 that at least $1 million would be added yearly to the area's economy through visitors to the university.

No studies apparently have been done on the economic impact from the state office building.

Segal said having a presence in the downtown will help Seton Hill to grow. The university's hilltop location across from College Avenue is a barrier, he said.

"It's now been crossed," Segal said.

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