Construction of Penn State’s new West 1, West 2 buildings not delayed by pandemic as timeline set
Penn State’s two newest building projects — West 1 and West 2, part of a “revitalization” of the West Campus — won’t be delayed by the pandemic.
During a State College Borough Planning Commission meeting last week, one official hired by the university confirmed that construction would begin on West 2 in September with ground breaking on West 1 in May 2021, which is actually more than a month ahead of schedule from the original dates released in February 2019. Construction is expected to take about two years, according to Mark Saville, group manager for engineering firm HRG, Inc.
According to a Penn State spokesperson, who offered further clarification Tuesday, West 2 should be completed in October 2022 and West 1 should be finished by December 2023.
The construction is part of a $1 billion College of Engineering Master Plan that extends through 2028. Phase 1, which includes both buildings, boasts a $370 million budget and will focus on improving the area around the College of Engineering near Atherton Street.
Phase 1’s complete timeline, which also includes landscaping, bike lanes and a six-level parking garage, will run through 2023.
West 2, which is in the final planning stage, will be 103,600 square feet — about 15% larger than the Lasch Football Building — and will contain a multipurpose high-bay space, research labs, research cores, teaching and studio spaces, administration and faculty spaces, and student spaces. It will house the School of Engineering, Design and Technology programs, the Learning Factory and the Factory for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) Lab.
West 1, still in the preliminary planning stage, is expected to be 279,000 square feet — about 70% the size of the Bryce Jordan Center — and will contain research labs, teaching spaces and administration, faculty spaces and student spaces.
For West 1, the Design Review Board suggested implementing movable outdoor seating and revisiting certain functions during a pandemic — such as making sure hallways are wide enough to promote social distancing, for example.
The next meeting involving the State College Borough Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled for noon July 8.
