Housing, health care and more: How PennTerra’s projects have helped shape Centre County
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- PennTerra has helped develop many housing, recreation and other projects.
- The firm has played a part in constructing over 17 student housing developments.
- PennTerra’s projects have helped bolster local economy and create jobs.
PennTerra is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with the engineering firm playing a role in hundreds of developments — from restaurants to high-rises — across Centre County.
The company celebrated the milestone earlier this month at a ribbon cutting and anniversary celebration at its office, 3075 Enterprise Drive. Several local leaders, including U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, lauded PennTerra President John Sepp for the work he and his firm have completed over the years.
“Since 1976 PennTerra has developed essential services for building developments throughout central Pennsylvania, and all of us here today are deeply grateful for their steadfast commitment to our communities,” Thompson said. “Through careful planning, accurate surveying and expert site engineering, PennTerra has been instrumental in helping clients realize their vision exactly as they intended it.”
Sepp started at PennTerra in 1989, took over as president in 1997 and has been at helm ever since. Sepp also oversaw PennTerra when it became entirely employee-owned in 2016. More than 40 staff members work there today.
Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins said during the ceremony that the engineering firm has played a “critical role” in shaping the developmental growth of the county.
PennTerra has left its footprint all across the area through the design of projects like housing developments, restaurants, apartment buildings, banks and more.
Following the company’s ribbon cutting, the CDT asked Sepp and PennTerra Director of Business Development Irene Wetzel about the most impactful developments that people might not know PennTerra had a hand in.
Below is a look at some of the developments and sectors PennTerra has been involved with, with some still in the works.
Student housing
PennTerra has been involved with of over 17 student housing projects, which have contributed over 7,700 beds across over 2,800 units to the area, and will look to add more through The Mark and Town Centre projects.
The firm has helped develop downtown State College projects like The Metropolitan, The Standard, The Rise, The Maxxen, The Edge, Pugh Centre, oLiv Highland and oLiv State College. According to a six-page summary of PennTerra’s impacts provided by Sepp and Wetzel, the projects have helped transform downtown into a “vibrant, walkable, mixed-use hub.”
“These projects didn’t just add buildings — they reshaped density, walkability, student experience and the long-term viability of downtown,” they wrote. “Following focus groups and the adoption of a new ordinance, PennTerra’s plans and clients helped bring the borough’s vision to life by increasing student housing in the downtown core.”
Residential housing
PennTerra has also been involved with more than its fair share of residential housing projects, helping design many single-family neighborhoods, planned residential developments and affordable housing options across Centre County.
Those include housing projects like Foxpointe/Hunters Chase in Ferguson Township, Village of Nittany Glen in Benner Township, Steeplechase in Spring Township and Shady Lane in Walker Township, among others.
They have added several hundreds of homes to a growing region in need of a variety of housing options.
Health care
The engineering firm has also played a part in shaping Centre County’s health care landscape, with projects including outpatient care and senior living.
This includes the Mount Nittany Outpatient Center in Toftrees-West, Centre Care, multiple Wynwood House facilities, the Benner Pike and Philipsburg Graystone senior living communities, the Village at Penn State, Pediatric Dental and Centre Volunteers in Medicine.
Recreation
Some recreation projects PennTerra has had a hand in include the Toftrees Golf Resort, the Nittany Mall, Climb Nittany, the Nittany Valley Sports Centre, Kepler Pool, Rolling Rails and the University Wine Company, which provide the community with gathering spaces and “community anchors.”
“This is where PennTerra’s mission of building people, projects and places really shines,” the report states. “The outdoor and recreational projects support the economic development priorities that are championed by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.”
Other PennTerra projects that support recreation in the area include the construction of several of the region’s new hotels, including the recently-completed Avid Candlewood and Tru by Hilton on the Benner Pike.
Regional and national chains, job growth
PennTerra has also helped bring a number of regional and national chains to the area that have bolstered the county’s economy through job creation and tax revenue.
A few of these projects include various Sheetz, Rutter’s and (soon-to-be) Wawa locations, a Home Depot, two UEC movie theaters, three Giant grocery stores, three Chipotles (and counting), KFC, three Jersey Mike’s restaurants, Jake’s Fireworks, several Dunkin’ locations, 7 Brew Coffee and more.
PennTerra has also played a part in designing some of the area’s key financial institutions, such as Fulton Bank, Kish Bank and Arize Federal Credit Union, and car dealerships, like Stocker Subaru and Stuckey Ford, most recently.
Additionally, the engineering firm has helped develop projects in the Benner Commerce Park, such as Homeland Manufacturing and Happy Valley Blended Products, and the Boalsburg Technology Park, like EnergyCAP, The Gates, Bricks and Stone’s Masonry Company and Harris Township’s public works facility.
