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Plan For New $96 Million Penn State Classroom Building Advances

Construction is expected to begin in the coming months on a new Penn State building intended to address a shortage of large classrooms and anticipated enrollment increases at the University Park campus.

State College Planning Commission on Thursday heard details of the final land development plan for the general-purpose classroom building to be located at the corner of Bigler Road and East Park Avenue, next to the Forest Resources Building. The university’s Board of Trustees in November authorized the project and $96 million in expenditures — $85.5 million in borrowing and $10.5 million from central reserves.

The 102,000-square-foot, 78-foot-tall building will have two large classrooms on each of four levels, Chris Nasuti, of project engineer HRG, told the Planning Commission. The classrooms will accommodate a total of 2,200 students.

University Park currently has only 24 large general-purpose classrooms with a capacity over 150, and each is heavily used with no open availability, Sara Thorndike, senior vice president of finance and business, told the Board of Trustees in November.

More large classrooms will also be needed to accommodate anticipated enrollment growth at University Park. A “road map” for the future of the university unveiled earlier this year plans to “leverage” growing demand for attendance at University Park by increasing undergraduate enrollment 9,175 in 2023-24 to more than 10,000 over several admission cycles. 

Classrooms in the new building will be large lecture halls with flexible seating available to all academic colleges. The building also will include informal learning areas, casual seating, and study areas.

Building materials will include red brick, sandstone, and aluminum, Nasuti said.

Accessible routes will lead to the main entry vestibules, all public spaces will be ADA compliant, and teaching spaces will be designed for inclusive learning environments, according to the presentation.

Among sustainability measures, the building will be constructed for LEED certification. It will be designed to reduce the carbon footprint, glare, bird collisions, and water consumption, with low-flow fixtures. Conduit for potential future solar panels also will be included, Nasuti said.

A small lot along the service road next to the Forest Resources Building will have spaces for three maintenance vehicles, but no other vehicle parking will be included, with the East Deck located nearby.

Parking for 150 bicycles will be available, with the ability to expand if needed. Bicycle parking was determined by surveying other general classroom facilities like the Thomas Building and Forum, Nasuti said.

Stormwater will be managed with subsurface detention at North Halls, and the infiltration basin at the Katz Building across Park Avenue will be used for water volume and quality control.

Passive lawns on site will have trees, shrubs, and other native plantings. Nasuti said 53 of 83 trees on the existing site will be removed, and 51 will be planted.

Construction is expected to begin in early March, with completion at the end of July 2026 and occupancy for the fall 2026 semester.

Work on the new building is not expected to impact traffic on Park Avenue, Nasuti said. Extension of the sewer line, however, may result in the short-term closure of one lane on Bigler Road, with flaggers for traffic control during that time. Utility work is expected to take place in the summer when traffic will be least impacted.

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About the Author

Geoff Rushton (StateCollege.com)

Geoff Rushton is managing editor for StateCollege.com. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter at @geoffrushton.

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