Name is familiar, but Behrend's Erie Hall doesn't look much like the old one. Take a look inside

This article is part of a recurring series that will provide updates on the status of properties of interest in the Erie area. Have a suggestion? Email jmartin@timesnews.com

Like a lot of folks at Penn State Behrend, Ken Miller counted himself as a fan of the old Erie Hall.

The gymnasium, built in 1952 was the first new structure built after Mary Behrend donated her estate to the Pennsylvania State University.

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In the years since, it's been home to plenty of big events in the life of the campus, lots of exciting games and some memorable speeches. including one by former President Bill Clinton in 2016.

The building held lots of memories, but not enough people.

As enrollment grew, so did the need for athletic facilities.

"If you were an average Joe, you had a hard time getting in for a workout," said Miller, a longtime member of the staff who serves as senior director for administration and student affairs.

An evolving plan

Initially, Penn State leadership settled on a plan to upgrade and expand the existing Erie Hall in 2020. Eventually, though, University officials decided there was a need for something bigger, Miller said.

And students got behind the idea.

Given options, they identified a new fitness and recreation facility as their top priority for their student-initiated fee that gives students a voice in how the money is spent.

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That fee is expected to cover about $11 million in construction costs, or about 40% of the total.

Still, there's plenty of nostalgia for the old building.

"The courts ran all the way to the bleachers," Miller said. "It was loud. It was intimate. It was cool, but it was time."

It's been a long time since Erie Hall has been Behrend's primary gymnasium.

The 72,000-square-foot Junker Center assumed that role when it opened in 2001.

The new Erie Hall, which is nearly three times as large as the old one and has space for three basketball courts instead of one, will serve as a complement to the larger Junker Center, Miller said.

In addition to offices for coaches, locker rooms and athletic training facilities, and a separate gym for wrestling, the new building will provide a vastly expanded space for personal workouts, including studio space for yoga, Pilates, spinning and other classes, Miller said.

Brehend's personal counseling office will also take up residence in the new building. Miller sees it as an opportunity to build on the link between physical and mental health.

"We think there is a real strong connection," Miller said.

The new building, which is expected to be completed later this year, is located in a highly visible spot on the expanded footprint of the old Erie Hall

The building will feature massive windows and sweeping views of the tennis courts and athletic fields to the north.

While the Junker Center is located at the extreme eastern end of campus, the new Erie Hall is more centrally located, across the parking lot from the college's admissions building.

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In terms of recruiting new students, "I think this really ups the game," Miller said.

With a partial stone facade, it's also consistent with other architecture on campus.

"It's stone facade will remind you of the Metzgar (admissions) Center, and remind you of the Glenhill Farmhouse," the former residence of Ernst and Mary Behrend that serves now as administration offices, Miller said.

"You are going to pull up the driveway and you are going to say 'Wow.'"

A look inside

Shawn Turner, project manager for the Pittsburgh-based construction firm P.J. Dick, led Miller and other visitors through the unfinished space on Aug. 23.

There's still plenty of work to be done, but Turner said the project, which has employed hundreds of people along the way, is moving ahead on schedule.

"Everything is on track," he said.

Miller said he expects the work to be complete in December and that the building should be furnished and ready for second-semester classes on Jan. 9, 2023.

For now, it's not hard to envision the new Erie Hall. Metal studs mark the location of walls that are yet to be completed. There's space for offices, space for the wrestling program and an eye-catching vantage point from the second floor that will look out over the basketball courts below.

The space was lit on a recent visit by natural light from a pair of towering window openings on the north side of the building. Openings had made for all the windows, but as of Aug. 23 none of them had been installed.

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Turner and his team have lots of details to finish, including the installation of a Nittany Lion mosaic.

The building doesn't look much like the old Erie Hall, but that name will remain, at least for now.

"I think students are really going to like it," Miller said.

Jim Martin can be reached at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Penn State Behrend's Erie Hall name lives on in new $28 million gym