Friday, April 3, 2009
Behrend Growth
continued from front page
On the "wish list," as
described by several Behrend
officials, sits at least temporar
ily a new residence hall, Tripp,
and a Fine Arts Center, which
could be as be as far as a
decade or two away, since it
would use state funds. These
projects are long-term ideas,
and there is no guarantee that
they will be completed.
According to Burke, these proj
ects could happen within half a
decade; for elcample, there is a
possibility that the Fine Arts
Center could qualify for money
through the economic stimulus
plan. As of print time, the
chancellor had planned a
meeting with local
Representative Curt Sonney
but had not yet discussed even
the possibility of that route.
So, how will this affect the
average Behrend student?
According to Ken Miller,
Director of Student Affairs at
Behrend, when a need arises, it
will be met by the college. For
a long time, for example, there
was a physical disconnect
between different departments
on-campus. Students are
expressing frustration at hav
ing Financial Aid, the Bursar's
office, and Career
Development in completely
separate buildings; the
Metzgar Center will combine
them all under one roof, lead
ing to ease of use for both
incoming and current students.
Even past the departments of
the school, the changes will
bring about marked shifts in
ideals for the campus. The SFF
Committee, which collects
information from students on
what they want to see change
on-campus, provides students
with a clear voice that goes
We want to stay Behrend."
-13sedie Christiansen, Associate Dean
straight to the "top" of Behrend
administration. Many improve
ments on-campus, though, will
provide students not only with
improvements to daily life on
campus, but within their aca
demic studies, too.
Miller points to the renova
tions slated to begin in the
chemistry labs of Science as
the best example.
"We don't have nearly
enough lab space for all stu
dents there," he says. "So by
improving the facilities, we can
provide some extra expansion
room within that program."
The aim of all of the
improvements slated to appear
soon at Behrend is to enhance
the Behrend experience,
according to administrators.
That experience applies to fac
ulty, too.
John Ream, Director of
Operations at Behrend, says
that in order to accommodate
all faculty, staff, and students,
everyone's needs must be
taken into consideration.
A view from inside the construction area. Demolition has already finished. The windows are covered in tarps
to protect them from damage, rather than to prevent students from seeing the progress.
"One huge point of expan
sion that we need to consider is
faculty office space," he says.
"There are faculty members
who are very short of space in
their offices."
Ream, whose duties involve
both looking at new facilities
but also renovating old ones,
says that there are already
processes underway to expand
the space for faculty. He cited a
plan within the Benson build
ing this summer that will retro
fit an old lab, as well as add
two research labs and two fac
ulty offices.
As far as specific projects,
each project has its own
unique characteristics in how
it will affect the campus.
Reed Bookstore renovation
Construction starts:
(in progress)
Project finishes:
August 2009
tall dates tentative)
The Bookstore Renovations
in the Reed Union Building
seem to be attracting the most
attention from students.
Though the construction is
largely blocked from the view
of bypassers, it will have a
huge impact on the setup of
the Reed building.
The basic fundamentals of
the project will include a sec
ond floor with offices that will
extend above where the book
store used to he. The entrance
to the new second floor will be
located right next to the spiral
steps ascending from the Reed
lobby.
Demolition is already com
plete, and the bookstore will
move back to its prior location
sometime in early or mid-
August.
The new offices will combine
the Division of Undergraduate
Studies with Career
Development. Director of
Student Affairs Ken Miller says
that the idea behind combining
the two departments was to
make the area a "one-stop
shop" for finding a career or
finding a major.
The Division of
Undergraduate Studies and
Career Development offices
will be taken by Educational
Equity. Right now, the inacces
sibility of Educational Equity
inconveniences many students.
This would combine together
the offices of Andy Harrera
and Michelle Brown, which
will improve confidentiality
issues and allow the
Educational Equity depart
ment to possibly expand staff.
The offices upstairs will also
include a glass-enclosed con
ference room, interview room,
and video room. The university
plans to make use of new tech
nology in the construction of
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo courtesy of John Ream, Director of Operations at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College
A digital rendering of the Robert and Sally Metzgar Center. The project has a rough finishing date of May to summer 2010, and will be located next
to the Reed parking lot, acting as a "gateway" to Behrend. The program is estimated to cost around $4 million.
these conference rooms, with
several computer kiosks and
desk space in almost every
room.
The cost of the project is esti
mated to be about $1.5 million
Robert and Sally Metzgar
Admissions and Alumni
Center
Construction Starts:
April 20(19
Project Finishes:
May 2010
(all dates tentative)
One of the largest additions
to come to Behrend over the
next few years will be the
Robert and Sally Metzgar
Admissions and Alumni
Center, made possible by a $2
million donation by the
Metzgars. The entire program
cost is estimated to be around
$4 million.
The idea behind the
Admissions and Alumni
Center, or the "Metzgar
Center," as it has become
known, is that the combination
of admissions and alumni rela
tions into one building will pro
vide students with a focal point
on-campus.
"The center will be the first
place Penn State Behrend stu
dents visit on campus," said
Jack Burke on the Penn State
Behrend website, "and it will
be the same building that wel
comes them back as alumni."
Robert Metzgar felt that the
donation would provide
Behrend with an attractive
"front door" to welcome stu
dents and returning alumni.
The building itself will bring
the registrar, bursar's office,
and financial aid all under the
same roof. Ken Miller says that
probably the best part about
the project will be that it will
help students with another
one-stop shop.
"There's a whole lot less run
ning around for students dur
ing their college careers," he
says, "and a lot less running
around for families during the
admission process."
Dobbins Dining Hall
renovations
Construction starts: Sept. 2009
Project finishes: Summer 2010
(all dates tentative)
Renovations to Dobbins will
go out to bid in mid-May of
2009, after the Spring semester
is over. Right now, the design is
up for the renovations, and
architects are constructing
bids.
Randy Geering, Director of
Housing and Food Services,
says that the generally favor
able bid atmosphere could aid
the project. The favorable bids
on other projects, says
Geering, could repeat them
selves for the Dobbins project.
The main intent behind the
renovations to the campus's
dining hall is to both make bet
ter use of its space, and offer
more food options to students.
The project plans to com
pletely renovate the middle
floor of Dobbins to create new
office space, a freight elevator,
and a conference room.
There will also be an addi
tion on the upper side of the
building, stretching from the
south end all the way to the
current upper door.
There will be a special events
dining room and catering
office within the new addition,
greatly adding to the versatility
and usefulness of the building.
Also, the existing serving
area will be rearranged, which
will bring a larger variety of
food to students.
"We're going to aim for a
homestyle, Caribbean, and
other grill section," says
Geering. "We'll move the salad
bar, and make a 'real' Wok bar.
Make it quicker, move more
people through."
Also, the stairwells, which
Geering describes as nothing
less than "disgusting," will be
replaced. The windows will
also be redone, and a general
use elevator will be installed.
There will also be a new
roof, new utilities, and kitchen
equipment added to the build
ing.
The program will cost more
than the renovations project to
take place in Reed, but no esti
mates are currently available
for publication.
Reed 117 and
Reed lounge space
renovations
Construction starts: May 2010
Project finishes: August 2010
This will be a summer proj
ect for Behrend. As per the stu
dent response on the SFF pro
posal, the college will aim to
renovate Reed 117 and simul
taneously provide more lounge
space in the building.
The process of renovations
for this will likely take no
longer than the summer. Both
the retrofitting of Reed 117 and
the addition of lounge space in
the building will hopefully be
finished by the beginning of
fall semester in 2010, waiting
for students when they come
back from summer.
The SFF proposal also rec
ommended a feasibility study
for a copy center to be added to
Reed, but there are problems
with that idea.
"The definition of a copy
center is kind of fluid," says
Ken Miller. "What kind of serv
ices should it offer? There are
many different interpretations,
so that needs to be defined
first."
Miller hopes that bids will be
back for the Reed 117 and
Reed lounge space by February
of 2010. This will allow the SFF
Committee of that year to look
more into a recreation center,
another request from students
on this year's SFF proposal.
"If they know what money
they have to work with," says
Miller, "it gives flexibility to the
committee. With [Reed 117
and lounge space additions]
out of the way, the committee
will have a concrete estimate
of costs and resources. This
will allow them to work more
on the top priority on the SFF
proposal: a convenience store.
"The Fine Arts Center could be
the missing piece of the puzzle at
Penn State Behrend."
Commercial development
The prospect of commercial
development is one of the most
intriguing amongst administra
tors and students alike. One
complaint often heard by stu
dents is the lack of retail stores
within walking distance. Not
many are aware that in many
places right around Behrend,
the possibilty exists that com
mercial development will move
in.
The caveat in this situation is
the declining economy. While
there was some serious inter
est in companies moving
stores into the areas, the recent
credit crunch has put a plug in
any kind of development plans.
There are several places that
commercial development
could happen in the immediate
area.
One possibility is develop
ment further along Station
Road, says Director of
Operations John Ream.
University Gates owns a
piece of property along Station
Road, on the far side of the
connector between Station and
the Bayfront Connector, on the
Bayfront side of the road. Penn
State also owns a neighboring
piece of land, and the possibil
ity remains open for commer
cial development there.
There was also significant
interest, before the economic
crisis, in developing land
behind the Country Fair next
The Behrend Beacon I 7
to Route 90. "There was specu
lation as far as retail," says Ken
Miller, "like Target, or a Get Go.
There were also some ideas for
apartments to put up there.
Nothing was for sure, though."
The developer, however,
"backed out" of trying to devel
op the land, and it could be
blamed on the economy.
To Ream, the issue lies with
the simple fact that if stores
were going to develop in the
immediate area, their business
would decline over the sum
mer.
"Students are here nine
months out of the year," he
says. "That means that these
businesses need to he able to
attract non-students year
round, but especially in the
.summer, to be able 'to ^Tunc
don "
Hungry Howie's, Ream says,
is able to do this because of its
visibility from the Bayfront
Connector and Station Road.
However, if a business was not
visible or popular enough, its
business could drop off signifi
cantly during the summer.
"It wouldn't hurt for the col
lege to grow a little," Ream
adds. "Businesses want to see a
certain population before
building. The [adding of sever
al new buildings] in University
Gates will add to this feeling,
- Chancellor Jack Burke
and could entice some more
businesses."
Commercial development,
even close to campus, would
likely require no coordination
with the university, except if
Penn State plans to sell a plot
of land that it owns to develop
ers.
Fine Arts Center
Firmly planted in the "wish
list" category, the Fine Arts
Center is labelled by several
administrators, including
Chancellor Burke, as the "last
missing piece to the Behrend
puzzle."
Burke says that, in his
attempt to get money for the
project, he has shown pictures
of the current theatre, music
room, and other arts perform
ance venues. Since it would be
listed under the Department of
General Services, the project
would require state money.
Burke will be meeting with
local representatives to see if
economic stimulus money
could be used for the Fine Arts
Center. He would need to
prove that it would create
enough jobs in its construc
tion, upkeep, and product, to
warrant stimulus money.
The Fine Arts Center is also
prominently featured on many
long-range plans of the univer
sity.