Preliminary Plans For Pasquerilla Spiritual Center Approved

July 14, 2000
University Park, Pa. -- Preliminary plans for construction of the Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the University Park campus were approved by the Board of Trustees today (July 14).

The core of the new spiritual center, which will adjoin the existing Helen Eakin Eisenhower Chapel, will be a large worship space with fixed seating for close to 500. That space is expandable to nearly 800 with the use of three adjoining program rooms that can open into the larger space. These program rooms also may be used independently, with each room’s capacity ranging from 100 to 125.

The complex will include several other program rooms that can be used for prayer, worship or other functions; two kitchens, one of which will be kosher; administrative offices; and ample gathering space outside worship areas. An elevator will be added to provide alternate access to second-floor offices and to the basement-level Frizzell Room, and a new entry to the Frizzell Room will be created off the main lobby of the expanded building.

A unique feature of the complex will be a 60-foot masonry light tower, signifying light as a common thread to many of the 32 religious groups registered on the campus. The tower will be at the center of an expanded courtyard, which will tie together the existing building and the addition.

James Oleg Kruhly and Associates of Philadelphia designed the facade of the spiritual center to integrate with the existing chapel. The addition will be built entirely of brick to match the brick of the current chapel, and the roof of the new worship area will fit contextually with surrounding buildings. Slotted windows on the Curtin Road side of the building will add texture to the exterior, and will allow soft, diffused light into the worship area. 

The existing Eisenhower Chapel consists of roughly 24,000 square feet. The addition will contain approximately 29,415 square feet, allowing for a greater variety of spiritual and educational activities to take place. The new facility shows the strong commitment of the University to acknowledge the importance of spiritual growth as part of the complete education of its students and to do so in a manner that recognizes the spiritual and cultural diversity of its student body.

The expansion will be supported solely by private funds. Major gifts include $5 million from the family of Sylvia and Frank Pasquerilla, former chairman and CEO of Johnstown-based Crown American Realty Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in regional shopping malls, including the Nittany Mall in State College; $1 million from Joe and Sue Paterno; and $1 million from Bill and Joan Schreyer. Construction of the estimated $9 million project is expected to begin in spring 2001.

Contact: Annemarie Mountz 814-865-7517 or e-mail at