UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After the spring semester ends and commencement ceremonies wrap up, the Penn State Office of Physical Plant (OPP) will once again turn its attention to a wide range of construction and renovation projects at University Park during the summer months.
OPP, along with Transportation Services and project contractors, will work to minimize disruptions to the campus community wherever possible. Transportation Services will communicate directly with permit holders in advance of any parking closures to provide information on designated alternative parking. OPP updates an interactive construction map identifying campus construction projects across University Park and the campus visitor map also offers capital project construction information.
Projects slated for this summer include:
Parking, paving and roadways
- Six campus parking lots will receive mill and overlay maintenance this summer — Orange U (East), Silver G (Greenberg), Yellow M (Lasch), Yellow R (Ag Admin), Student 11 (Grubb/Garban), and Off Campus Commuter (TSB). An additional 28 parking lots will receive crack seal and seal coating treatments.
- Gate C at Beaver Stadium will undergo improvements and nearby Stadium West Drive will receive crack seal and seal coating treatments.
- Parking at the Red V lot near Elliott Building on Burrowes Road will be impacted due to the need for lift equipment related to rooftop maintenance. Additionally, the surface lot between Elliott Building and Beaver Avenue will undergo a realignment of spaces and improved Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility.
- Allen Road, from Park Avenue to Fischer Road, will be closed and detoured in May and June due to utility-related work taking place in the vicinity. Additionally, Fischer Road, between Allen Road and the Nittany Parking Deck, will be reduced to two lanes and closed on select weekends.
- Nittany Parking Deck will undergo surface rehabilitation that may cause temporary space closures.
- The Brown C parking lot near Osmond Lab will be closed, with access to the Brown B parking lot and Brown C (Ritenour) remaining available through a detoured route.
- A chilled water pipe installation at both Electrical Engineering West and Electrical Engineering East buildings will cause parking impacts near the two buildings and potential pedestrian detours.
Sidewalks
- Major lighting upgrades will take place along sections of Porter, Curtin, Bigler and Pollock roads, causing intermittent sidewalk closures.
- A new sidewalk and lighting upgrades will be added to the University Drive Ramp B to provide increased pedestrian access from College Avenue to the eastern side of campus.
- The main walkways around Nittany Apartments will be replaced along with improvements to the area’s outdoor lighting.
- Various sidewalks near Mateer and Ford buildings will be closed and detoured during the summer due to utility-related work in the vicinity.
- Various sidewalks near Osmond, Davey, Whitmore, South Frear, Buckhout and Bouke labs will be closed and detoured during the summer due to utility-related work in the vicinity.
Building renovations
- New interior finishes, ADA upgrades and general renovation work will occur at the Forum Building.
- The slate roof on McKee Hall is set to be replaced this summer.
- Sparks Building will undergo an HVAC upgrade, with the replacement of piping and air systems.
- The cooling tower at the Pegula Ice Arena will be replaced.
- A new pool chemical room will be added to the White Building.
New construction and major renovation
- The College of Engineering Research and Teaching Spaces 1 and 2 (West 1 and 2) are both currently under construction and continue to transform West Campus. Construction on West 1 began last summer and will take at least another year to complete. West 2, on the other hand, broke ground in 2020 and nears its anticipated completion later this year.
- The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel continues its major renovation and addition.
- The new Palmer Museum of Art continues to take shape at the Arboretum. Visitors can still visit the current Palmer Museum of Art location as well as the Arboretum at Penn State.
- Phase 2B of the East Halls renovation project includes a major overhaul to Packer, Bigler and Curtin Halls, including a complete renewal of building systems.
- The expansion of the Lasch Football Building is anticipated to be complete in summer 2022. In addition to the expansion, the building also will receive upgraded mechanical and electrical systems.
- The multiyear replacement and renovation of the University’s Water Reclamation Facility will continue, which includes improvements to the wastewater systems and overall environmental impact.