A return to its roots: Penn State campus continues expansion in downtown Altoona

Penn State Altoona has been a part of the Blair County community for more than 75 years, first as a small undergraduate center in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania, then as a college on the outskirts of town, and now as a sprawling campus that covers both areas.

The continued growth of the campus has brought with it many opportunities for its students and the community, as well as much-needed revitalization to a once-booming city.

History

There were just 119 freshmen and nine faculty members when the Altoona Undergraduate Center (AUC) opened its doors on Sept. 13, 1939, in the former Webster Elementary School building in downtown Altoona.

A citizens committee led by Ted Holtzinger, Altoona Chamber of Commerce chairman, had raised more than $5,000 to renovate the building, after convincing the president of Pennsylvania State College to support such an endeavor. In 1940, the committee, which had been reorganized into an advisory board, raised another $3,000 to restore the former Madison Elementary School and make room for sophomore science courses.

After World War II ended, the two buildings weren’t large enough to accommodate the number of returning servicemen; therefore in 1947, Holtzinger and Robert Eiche approached the E. Raymond Smith family about purchasing the Ivyside Amusement Park, which had been sitting vacant for years. A $35,000 price tag bought 38 acres of land and set the school up for even more success. The new campus opened in 1948, after the renovation of park buildings, to 600 students and 30 faculty. Retired bank executive and Penn State Altoona Advisory Board member John Kazmaier said, “In my opinion they (Smith family) gave the greatest gift that has ever been given to the city of Altoona.”

Throughout the 1950s, associate degree programs were added which attracted many more out-of-town students. As enrollment increased, so did support from the community. Money was pledged to build the E. Raymond Smith Building for classrooms and administrative offices over what was once the Bathhouse, which gave the school its “Bathhouse U” nickname.

In 1958, with the opening of the Smith Building, the AUC’s name was changed to the Altoona Campus of The Pennsylvania State University. From the 1960s to the 1990s, more buildings were added to the campus, and in 1997, the school officially became designated as a four-year, degree-granting college, bearing the name The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College, more commonly known as Penn State Altoona. Today the Ivyside campus covers 167.2 acres with more than 20 buildings situated around a reflecting pond, the original warming dam for the Ivyside Amusement Park. The college has grown to offer 22 baccalaureate degrees, six associate degrees, and 19 minors.

But with all of that positive growth came an ongoing challenge of space, so college leaders began looking into a solution that would benefit not only Penn State Altoona, but have a residual positive effect on the city’s downtown.

In its heyday, Altoona’s downtown was a bustling metropolis, considered the cultural and commercial headquarters of the region. But with the rise of suburban sprawl, retail shifted from the downtown to new retail centers such as the Logan Valley Mall, and Altoona’s downtown began a decades-long decline. Buildings were demolished, and those that weren’t torn down often were left abandoned. Thus, was the general state of downtown Altoona until the dawn of the new millennia.

Downtown development

The college’s return to its home turf of downtown Altoona began in 1999 when the former Playhouse Theater was leased to house Penn State Altoona's Downtown Conference Center. It was then purchased by the college in 2005, and became home to its Continuing Education and Training program; in 2007 it was rededicated as the Devorris Downtown Center to honor the philanthropy of local entrepreneur Donald Devorris and his wife, Nancy. “It represents an economic generator for the community,” Devorris stated. “Having a major university represented in our community when you are trying to attract industry is always a plus. We have a derelict downtown. If it hadn’t been for the University to make a second campus, it would still be a derelict downtown. With their presence and future plans, the future of the downtown has improved dramatically.”

This initial investment in both the college and downtown Altoona by a local business leader signified a growing trend in philanthropy for Penn State Altoona, as the support for both entities kept coming. Next was the Aaron Building, formerly Penn Furniture, acquired by the college through a partnership with Altoona-Blair County Development (ABCD) Corporation in 2007, which now includes the nursing and communications classrooms and labs. Chancellor and Dean Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry credits Kazmaier for the move. “He not only was aware of our space constraints at the Ivyside campus, but he helped share his vision for the future of downtown Altoona. He showed me the opportunity and the potential for what it could be.”

Clearly engaged in the college’s revitalization of downtown, Kazmaier and his family’s support made Penn State Altoona's next acquisition possible: the renovation and transition of the former WRTA-AM building into the Kazmaier Family Building in 2009. Thanks to the philanthropy of Kazmaier, his wife, Dede, and his mother, the late Jane Patterson Kazmaier Lower, the building is home to the Development and Alumni Relations Office.

A name known to all in the Altoona area and many miles beyond, Penn State Altoona alumnus and Penn State graduate and businessman Steve Sheetz and his wife, Nancy, donated $2.5 million to build out the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in the former Meyer Jonasson Building along 11th Avenue in 2011.

“I think we are in a position to help,” said Steve. “This being in Altoona, we are helping the city, as well. It is an economic engine itself. The spread of Penn State Altoona into downtown was very important to the city and the college.”

With the commitment of Sheetz to the downtown, other Altoona area businesses and business leaders joined the revitalization effort. The Sheetz Center boasts named spaces within and without that include: Rossman Park, Port-Sky South; Brett Lobby; the Hite Company Lounge; Michael and Gail Irwin Family Trading Room; Young, Oakes, Brown, & Company Conference Room; Ferris Family Gathering Space; the M&T Bank vestibule, the business Advisory Board Incubator and the Ward Family Conference Room.

And this year, in another collaboration with ABCD Corp., the college entered into lease-to-purchase plans for the Penn Building adjacent to the Aaron and Kazmaier buildings. This lease with option to purchase includes the basement, second, and third floors of the Penn Building. All classes and faculty for programs in business, rail transportation engineering, and security and risk analysis will move into the Penn Building, which will free up space on the Ivyside campus for electro-mechanical engineering programs.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to expand our downtown campus, and I value our partnership with ABCD Corp. in bringing this project and others to fruition,” Bechtel-Wherry stated. “This project is a premier example of adaptive reuse in which existing buildings are repurposed to better serve our students, our college, and our community. It has been a win-win for our students, our college, community, and donors."

Yet another project in the works is the purchase and renovation of 10,000 square feet of the Quarter Roundhouse, a facility at the Railroader’s Memorial Museum that provides restoration and maintenance of the museum’s rolling stock. The area will provide lab space for the RTE program. The $2.2 million project has been made possible by a $1 million lead gift from Don and Nancy Devorris with the balance coming from a variety of sources.

As one of the largest employers in the Altoona-Blair County area, and through direct jobs, payroll, and employment benefits, Penn State Altoona generates a major net economic impact on the community and the region. According to Martin J. Marasco, president and CEO of ABCD Corp., the total payroll and benefits impact of that faculty and staff is over $30 million annually. A 2009 study determined that the economic impact generated by Penn State Altoona is in excess of $214 million annually and that about $16.5 million of disposable income from the faculty and staff alone was spent locally and regionally, Marasco said.

Future plans

There are four requirements before Penn State Altoona will approve a proposal for an expansion downtown: the project must meet an academic or program need; the building must be solid and well-built; it must be a reasonable cost; and there must be a gift component. A look around downtown shows that there is room for more expansion projects and revitalization efforts, and with University leaders identifying Altoona as a growth campus, coupled with strong community support, it’s possible the college will continue expanding its presence in the area.

“I am excited about the potential that holds,” Bechtel-Wherry said. “I am confident about our future.”