University Park

Building plans for three campuses receive board approval

Hazleton, Pa. -- Penn State's Board of Trustees today (July 11) approved final plans for building projects at the University Park, Erie and York campuses that will accommodate the current offerings of, and future opportunities for, a variety of academic, research and community outreach programs.

At the University Park campus, a new 96,000-square-foot School of Forest Resources Building will allow the school to consolidate a large portion of its programs in close proximity to most of the College of Agricultural Sciences buildings, and promote its strategic vision. It will house programs in forest sciences, wildlife and fisheries, and wood products that are currently spread throughout four buildings; and include student activities rooms, teaching labs and classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, research facilities and several conference rooms.

The four-story building will be located on the current Parking Lot 80 near the corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue, and is designed by Bower Lewis Thrower Architects of Philadelphia. A central atrium featuring local hardwoods will connect the two main sections of the building, which is being designed for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as a sustainable and environmentally friendly project. It will be the University's second LEED-certified building and the University's first LEED-certified building designed in collaboration with the Commonwealth's Department of General Services.

The Forest Resources Building is funded through a combination of state funds and gifts, and has a total project budget of $27 million.

At Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, a new 161,500-square-foot Research and Economic Development Center (REDC) will house the classrooms, labs and offices of the campus's School of Business and the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology. The facility, designed by Weber Murphy Fox of Erie and NBBJ of Columbus, Ohio, will address immediate needs for classroom and faculty spaces and serve as a physical and academic link between the campus and the adjacent Knowledge Park complex.

Located on the east side of Jordan Road, the REDC Building will feature two wings - one of which will align with buildings on the west side of Jordan Road while the other aligns with the buildings on the east side. Existing wooded areas to the south and east of the REDC Building will be maintained, and a future path system will connect the new building and core campus with the Knowledge Park.

The REDC Building is funded by the state and has a total project budget of $30 million.

The New Library/Auditorium Building at Penn State York will address campus and community needs with a four-story, 68,500-square-foot facility that will include a 1,000-seat auditorium for classes, the performing arts and other campus/community events, along with a library and classrooms. Thirty-four acres of land was deeded to the campus by the City of York in 1990 in an agreement that the University would construct a facility on that land for campus and community use. The building, designed by Murphy and Dittenhafer of York, will be located to the southwest of the existing Main Building and west of an existing wooded area.

The Library/Auditorium Building is funded by the state and has a total project budget of $11.9 million.

Last Updated March 20, 2009

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