An addition to the Thomas Building is one of many projects
planned for the University Park campus this summer.
An addition to the Thomas Building is one of many projects
planned for the University Park campus this summer.
By Paul D. Ruskin
Office of Physical Plant
Penn State is planning a full schedule of construction on the University Park campus this summer. The Office of Physical Plant will be managing 125 major projects on campus starting this month, and most of these projects have a potential to affect traffic, parking or pedestrian flow.
"This summer's construction activity is extensive. The public will see major improvements in many areas when all the projects are completed," said Jeff Mallory, director of design and construction. Every effort will be made to minimize the impact of the construction work.
All of this activity is a result of the University's $476-million, five-year construction plan announced last May.
Two highly visible projects are the ongoing 130,000-square-foot addition to Pattee Library and the major renovation of the HUB/Robeson Center. Both projects are going smoothly, according to OPP, but this is only the tip of the construction iceberg. Here are some highlights of other major projects on the summer schedule:
* Pollock Road: Closed to through traffic until 5 p.m. Friday, June 12, because of water line construction to the Hetzel Union Building. The section of roadway in front of the HUB will be closed. Motorists needing access to buildings east of Boucke Building can use East Pollock Road and those needing access to buildings west of Osmond Laboratory can use West Pollock Road. No parking lots will be closed because of this construction.
* Bigler Road: Reconstruction of the south end began May 18; construction will run up to Pollock Road during the first half of the summer and finish as far as the Natatorium by August. The work will cause the loss of two parking lots -- Orange G at Pollock dinning hall and the section of Nittany Silver adjacent to the Nittany Community Center -- for the duration of the project. For more information on this project, call the Parking Office at (814) 865-1436.
* Parking Lot 80: Resurfacing in sections to permit ongoing use.
* East Halls area: Replacement of walkway roofing. All the material is stored at ground level, usually in the parking lots, as is the high-reach equipment, so there is a definite user impact.
* Park Avenue sidewalk: Replacement of existing sidewalk as well as installation of new sidewalk. Work will not be done in the road area, but excavation equipment and concrete delivery may affect traffic flow.
* Pollock Road: Electric duct bank installation, which will only affect pedestrian traffic.
* Snyder Building: Roof replacement.
* Noll Laboratory: Three-story addition.
* Watts Residence Hall: Renovation.
* Rackley Building: Third-floor renovation.
* Chambers Building: Replacement of concrete plaza.
* South Henderson Building: Air conditioning and reroofing.
* Eisenhower Auditorium: Replacement of chiller.
* Sarni Tennis Facility: Completion of the project.
* Multi-Sports Facility: New 126,000-square-foot facility.
* Materials Research Laboratory: Renovation of air-handling system.
* College of Engineering: New 96,000-square-foot Leonhard Building.
* West campus: New 107,000-square-foot Research Center.
* Recreation Building: Extensive renovation and new running track.
* Business Administration Building II: Renovation.
* Sparks Building basement: Renovation.
* Steidle/Hosler: Renovation of heating and ventilation system.
* Old Main entrance: Renovation.
* College Avenue bus stop: Curb and pavement improvements.
* Osmond Building: Renovate third floor for a new physics lab and rebuild building entrance.
* Wartik: Build an interactive classroom.
* Warnock: Resurface Green G parking lot.
* Eisenhower Parking Garage: Caulking, sealing, and restriping (one floor at a time).
* Orange B parking lot: Convert upper portion to roller hockey area and resurface tennis courts near McCoy Natatorium.
* Thomas Building: New 600-seat lecture hall addition.
* McElwain: Resurface Orange G parking lot.
* Shortlidge Road: Upgrade water line.
* Pollock Housing Area: Sidewalk replacement.
* Pollock Undergraduate Library: Renovation for ADA accessibility.
* Intramural Building: Resurface tennis courts.
* Wagner Building: Replace roof and exterior masonry walls.
* Wagner parking lot: Resurface Orange D.
* Shields Building: Entrance and lobby renovations.
* New 89,000-square-foot football training facility.
* Beaver Stadium: Expansion of parking and storm water retention improvement.
In addition, the Office of Physical Plant will be constructing 12 telecommunications projects this summer and then 31 more in the fall. There also will be an additional 25 projects for accessibility improvement during the fall. Six major construction projects will be conducted at the University Park Airport between May and the end of the year, and these will include a new terminal, hangar and a 1,700-foot runway extension.
Motorists approaching University Park this summer also will be faced with road construction on North Atherton Street, University Drive, Fox Hollow Road and Puddintown Road.
Many construction schedules will change according to weather conditions. Access for emergency services and emergency egress from buildings will be maintained throughout construction.
Additional construction information for University Park is available on the Penn State home page at http://www.psu.edu/ or at the Office of Physical Plant home page under news: http://www.opp.psu.edu/. This page contains detailed maps which will be updated weekly with the latest information.
Penn State Beaver recently broke ground for a $1.75 million renovation and expansion project of the campus Dining Commons. The project, funded by Housing and Food Services, includes renovation of the 29-year-old dining hall, as well as construction of a connector between the dining commons and the Study Learning Center.
The 4,000-square-foot connector will include a special events dining room and a new Housing and Food Services office.
Housing and Food Services will spend an additional $300,000 on new furnishings for the Dining Commons.
With the renovation, the dining hall will change from a one-price to an a la carte billing system. Work is expected to be complete in early August and the new facility will be open when students return for the fall semester on Aug. 24.
Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates of Butler is the architect on the project.