Summer construction is in full swing at Penn State. Here’s a look at 5 new projects

Summer is a busy time for construction on Penn State’s University Park campus, and this year is no exception. However, some effects of an ongoing global supply chain crisis have made that job harder for the university’s Office of Physical Plant.

University officials say OPP’s construction crews are adjusting to unexpected obstacles while moving forward with projects across campus, including dorm renovations and an expansion to the Lasch Football Building. So far, a few campaigns have faced obstacles caused by global supply chain issues.

“As global supply chains continue to be disrupted, materials procurement has been a challenge throughout much of the construction industry, including for us here at Penn State,” said Bill Sitzabee, Penn State’s vice president for facilities management and planning and chief facilities officer, in a written statement. “I’m proud of the way our team at Penn State OPP and our contractors have continued to find creative solutions to addressing those issues and finding ways to advance projects forward.”

With those challenges in mind, here’s what you need to know about five of Penn State’s most significant construction projects.

Palmer Museum of Art

Construction on Penn State’s new Palmer Museum of Art is steadily progressing after crews broke ground last July. The university says sitework, foundations and steel structures are all completed for the new facility, which is located alongside the Penn State Arboretum’s H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. The project is not currently experiencing any delays or setbacks.

The $85 million, 71,000-square-foot facility will help the Palmer Museum of Art significantly expand its exhibition spaces and galleries. Once it’s open, the new museum could display between 7 and 8% of the works in its 10,000-piece collection, effectively doubling the current museum’s capacity.

The new complex will also boast indoor spaces and an outdoor terrace dedicated to hosting events, plus classrooms and teaching galleries to bolster educational efforts. Design plans include interlocking pavilions constructed with stone local to central Pennsylvania, as well as outdoor courtyards to blend with the neighboring Arboretum. Additionally, a specially designed HVAC system will strengthen efforts to preserve the museum’s art.

The new Palmer Museum of Art will replace the existing 50,000-square-foot museum located less than a mile away on Curtin Road, although the university will continue using that space as an unspecified educational facility. By moving the museum toward the Arboretum, Penn State hopes to improve its visibility and provide easier access for visiting schools and tourists. Officials previously estimated the new museum could nearly triple annual attendance from 35,000 to 95,000.

Penn State expects to finish construction on the museum next summer. The university will then begin a lengthy art installation process that could take several months. The new Palmer Museum of Art is slated to open to the public by spring 2024.

The current Palmer Museum of Art, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, will remain open until the new museum is completed.

West 1 Engineering Building

After years of planning, Penn State is finally moving ahead with an overarching 10-year project to construct a new hub for its engineering programs on the west side of campus. Included in that project is “West 1” — the unnamed facility that will serve as the future home of Penn State’s aerospace engineering, architectural engineering, and civil and environmental engineering departments. The $228 million, 290,000-square-foot facility will also include research and teaching labs, classrooms, computer labs, office and administrative spaces, a library, dining options and common areas.

Crews are now assembling and installing the building’s steel and cast-in-place concrete structure along White Course Drive. The university expects construction to finish by January 2024, allowing occupancy to begin by the start of the fall 2024 semester. OPP spokesperson Tyler Amy says supply chain issues have slightly delayed West 1’s construction.

You can view this online webcam to check out West 1’s progress.

West 2 Engineering Building

Although West 1 remains in its infancy, West 2 is moving forward at a faster pace just across the street.

The 105,000-square-foot, $88 million facility will house classrooms, design studios, research centers and faculty offices. West 2 will also offer resources to help fourth-year students complete their capstone design projects, which are required for graduation. Additionally, the building’s research space will host a high-bay structural research lab that’s the first of its kind at the university, a Penn State spokesperson said.

OPP officials say construction on West 2 is approximately 70% complete as work is expected to conclude before the end of the year. Penn State’s College of Engineering will begin a relocation process next spring and summer with the intent of opening West 2 for classes by the fall 2023 semester.

Although officials noted supply chain issues have produced longer wait times for materials to arrive, West 2 is moving forward without substantial delays.

Just like West 1, you can view an online webcam to check in on West 2’s construction.

East Halls Dorm Renovations

Entering one of the final phases of its East Halls renovation project, Penn State is renovating Bigler, Curtin and Packer Halls and will soon take Hastings, Snyder and Stone Halls offline for upgrades, too. Last week, OPP estimated that the project’s current phase, which will renovate the six residence halls, is about 20% completed. The soon-to-be-renovated buildings remain on track to reopen for students in time for the fall 2023 semester.

Renovations at East Halls haven’t experienced significant delays due to supply chain issues. However, construction on the project was delayed for nearly two years due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In total, Penn State’s renewal of East Halls, the largest housing area on campus, will address 16 residence halls. Ten dorms within the complex have already reopened following renovations dating back to 2016. Upgrades for the remaining six residence halls will cost an estimated $164 million, supported by the university’s five-year capital plan.

By renovating residence halls, Penn State can install more efficient building systems that enable climate-controlled rooms. Other dorm upgrades typically include new furniture, remodeled communal spaces, improvements to building appearances, accessibility features and landscaping.

Once construction wraps up in East Halls, Penn State will take a one-year break during the 2023-24 academic year before setting its sights on Pollock Halls in central campus. The next phase of renovations will upgrade seven residence halls within the complex, stretching through the 2027-28 academic year.

Renovations of Pollock dorms are partially supported by increases in the university’s room and board rates. Next year, the average Penn State student in a standard room with a mid-level meal plan will pay about 3.5% more to live on campus — a modest increase from last year’s 3.45% rate hike.

Campus Lighting

Although Penn State hoped to move forward with a project that would add more lighting fixtures across campus pathways, the university is temporarily shelving the project due to “unexpected material delays” for 115 new light poles. Installations are now expected to finish by August 2023 once construction resumes next spring or summer.

Delays for the campus-wide lighting project won’t impact work at Penn State’s Nittany Apartments complex, which began this summer and will upgrade nearby walkways and exterior lighting fixtures. The university expects to complete the first of five phases by August 2022.