Office of Physical Plant

Summer construction plans set for University Park

Campus to undergo several building renovations, sidewalk improvements and more

The entrance to Pattee Library along Curtin Road, along with the adjacent plaza and sidewalk, will be closed while work is done to remove the overhead colonnade, replace the entryway concrete, and relocate the existing sculpture.  Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With spring commencement ceremonies now complete, Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant (OPP) will initiate a variety of construction and renovation projects at the University Park campus during the summer months.  

OPP, along with Penn State Transportation Services and project contractors, will work to minimize disruptions to the campus community wherever possible. OPP updates an interactive construction map identifying construction projects across campus, and the Campus Visitor Map also offers construction information. 

Parking, paving and roadways 

  • Seven campus parking lots will receive mill and overlay maintenance this summer — Commuter Wiley Lab, Commuter Animal Diagnostic Lab (East), Fleet Lot, Porter South, Lot 81 Beaver Hall, Brown B Pond, and Red A Research 1. An additional 41 parking lots will receive crack seal and seal coating treatments.  

  • Mill and overlay work will occur on three campus roads this summer, including a portion of Big Hollow Road, Bigler Road Minor Road 3 (nearest East Area Locker Room) and Fraser Road.  

  • The Red K (ARL) parking lot will undergo pavement restorations and lighting upgrades.  

  • An entrance relocation will take place at the Water Reclamation Facility off University Drive. 

  • Elliott Building’s parking deck will be closed for rehabilitation work.  

  • Eisenhower Parking Deck will undergo masonry work.  

Sidewalks and landscape 

  • A new sidewalk and lighting upgrades will be installed along Commuter Drive, between Dauer Drive and Curtin Road. 

  • A new plaza, along with wall plaques, will be installed at Beaver Stadium, facing Curtin Road.  

  • The south patio of the Willard Building will undergo sewer renovations, sidewalk replacement and lighting improvements. 

Building renovations 

  • The HUB-Robeson Center will undergo a variety of renovations, including the replacement of the stair treads in the grand stairwell, a remodel and expansion of Starbucks, a new site for Cow & Cookie, a relocation of Barney’s, and upgrades to the auditorium. 

  • Windows in Deike Building will be replaced.  

  • The north wing and greenhouses of the Forest Resources Lab will be demolished, with renovations to the facility’s south wing.  

  • The slate roof on Irvin Hall is set to be replaced this summer.  

  • Both Wagner and Shields buildings will undergo roof replacements, as well as full perimeter masonry repairs.  

  • Comprehensive masonry work is scheduled to take place at numerous facilities this summer, including Huck Life Sciences, Electrical Engineering West, and the Hintz Family Alumni Center. 

New construction and major renovation 

  • The new Palmer Museum of Art is nearing its anticipated construction completion later this summer. Opening will take place in 2024 after art relocation and installation.  

  • Construction continues on the new Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building, which is anticipated to be completed in late 2024. 

  • The College of Engineering Research and Teaching Space 1 (West 1) is under construction. The 290,000-gross-square-foot facility, along with the recently opened Engineering Design and Innovation Building, will transform West Campus.  

  • Work continues at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex to include new team and media accommodations and fan amenities. 

  • The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel continues its major renovation and addition.  

  • The University will construct a new facility for environmental and hazardous waste collection.  

  • Phase 2B of the East Halls renovations, including Bigler, Curtin and Packer halls, is nearing its completion, with Phase 2C (Hastings, Snyder and Stone halls) to break ground this summer.   

Last Updated May 8, 2023