YORK, Pa. — The 'Blue Goose," a 65-foot long reach excavator with a grapple attachment, went to work demolishing portions of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center at Penn State York on Thursday, Oct. 8. Some sections of the building are being destroyed to make way for new space.
The more than 28,000-square-foot project includes renovations and an addition, with much-needed kinesiology, intramural and athletic spaces in the form of a multi-activity court. The space will also allow for off-season athletic team practice for sports such as baseball, soccer and intramural activities, as well as badminton and ballroom dancing. In addition, a group fitness room, for classes such as yoga and spinning, will be included. The project will add about 14,000 square feet to the building, an increase of 38 percent.
Existing spaces also will be renovated, including upgrades to the existing gymnasium, bathrooms, an elevator and entrance with a vestibule, a game room, kinesiology classrooms, student services offices, concession stand area, and consolidated, updated and efficient HVAC systems.
Funding for the $13.5 million project came from a variety of sources. A few years ago, the Penn State York Student Government Association and the entire student body made a decision to commit a majority of their student activity fee, over the span of the next three to five years, toward the renovation of the student center. The student contribution is $1.8 million; $1 million came from private donors, and the remaining money for the project was supplied by the University.
The student center project is slated to be completed in fall 2016.