Preparations for a shopping center catering to the Ithaca College community may resume after being put on hold for more than two years to deal with economic concerns, Carol Macali, office manager of Ithaca Estates Realty, said.

“Hopefully we have things figured out by this summer,” landowner Evan Monkemeyer of Ithaca Estates Reality said. “As of right now there are no specific deadlines.”

The residential-style center will be located at the intersection of Danby Road and East King Road and include several undisclosed businesses and a pathway. Several businesses have expressed interest in the site, but Macali said no official contracts have been signed.

Monkemeyer secured preliminary approval from the Town of Ithaca Planning Board in April 2007. Fred T. Wilcox, chair of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board, said he hasn’t received any updates.

“The only indication that his plan still exists is the trees that were cut down to make way for construction,” Wilcox said.

Junior Dena Cohen said the success of the center rests on the types of stores included.

“Most students only leave campus to get groceries or go out to eat,” Cohen said. “The creators should keep this in mind.”