Ten-year plan committee
campus
Penn State Harrisburg's Master Plan Committee and Master Plan Ad Hoc
Committee have been and will continue to brainstorm and debate over an interest
ing issue. They are to literally "dream" about what the campus should and could
be like 10 years from now. Their main guideline is to simply "think outside the
box."
"While not yet complete, the master plan is addressing all of the program require
ments outlined in the Capital College's Campus Ten-Year Program Statement,"
said J. Douglas Wenger, RLA University planner.
The changes and ideas proposed to Penn State's Board of Trustees hopefully in
April will reflect how the campus could be improved to better accommodate the
learning and cultural environment for the students. Areas of concern include what
the campus should look like, what kind of spaces should be or could be created for
students, what types and quality of space may be needed to achieve the academic
mission, as well as what real estate properties should be purchased.
The most important problem to be tackled is the movement of tractor trailers
through campus en route to the Capital Business Center located behind Olmsted.
reduce the use of auto
mobiles on campus by transforming it into a pedestrian friendly campus.
"The committee believes that siting future buildings in the academic core of cam
pus and linking to the EAB Building across College Avenue by means of a pedes
trian bridge will help make campus more walkable and thus reducing the reliance
on automobiles on campus and developing a more vibrant college campus," said
Wenger.
Many additional ideas have been formulated due to the expansion of the campus
into a four- year institute. These plans focus primarily on student life and involve-
One idea is for more housing to accommodate 500 additional students
"We have completed the first phase of this expansion which included a new food
services operation," said Christopher Hurley, general manager of Housing and
Food Services. "We now must make sure that the new housing being considered
for Phase Two will meet the needs and be appropriate for first-year students as well
as continuing students."
Another idea set in motion is the incorporation of sports fields on campus to sat
isfy the four-year college atmosphere. The committee has discussed implement
ing soccer, baseball and softball fields as well as volleyball, tennis and basketball
courts.
Associate Professor of Psychology Bobbi Bremer feels versatility in student
activities is a main part of a growing college campus.
"I personally think that increasing the student residential opportunities is vital to
the growth of the campuses, and creating activities (academic and leisure) for the
students must go hand in hand with the growth in the student population."
The planning of sports fields into the campus is a difficult task for the committee
due to the lack of space available for campus use; therefore, intricate drawings and
maps have to be planned, and discussions for purchasing adjacent real estate are in
motion. The committee also has to work around the future transportation center to
the airport and the relocation of the Middletown Train Station, both of which are
to be built over route 230.
There are also environmental concerns to take into consideration.
"We need to take a look at our planning and see what works the best at promot
ing environmental sustainability and spiritual, physical and learning needs for the
students," said Mahar.
There is talk about redoing the stream adjacent to the campus currently by mak
ing it environmentally attractive so students can have outdoor classes or just go sit
and talk. This would include landscaping and integrating benches near the stream.
Other ideas for the future of Penn State Harrisburg include adding a Nittany Lion
improvements
By KAREN PLOW
Advertising Manager
"One of our fundamen
tal ideas to solve this
problem is to propose to
Penn Dot to build an
interchange connector
from the airport for
trucks to access the
Capital Business Center
without having to drive
on campus," said
William J. Mahar, asso
ciate provost and senior
associate dean.
Another main goal is to
including additional dorms
shrine, which would make it more of a "Penn State atmosphere." Another idea
being considered is changing the entire look of Olmsted so that it does not look
like a military building.
"I am very excited about seeing the campus morph from an unattractive Air Force
base into a pleasant and attractive center for higher education," said Bremer.
Still another idea is to combine all of the financial and admissions concerns for
the students into one building so they only have to go to one place to ask questions.
Another idea has been proposed to turn our one quad campus into a three quad
campus. One would be in front of Olmsted, another in student housing, and the
third in front of the EAB building.
Of course all of these ideas are not set in stone. The plans have to be accepted
by the Board of Trustees. Then, they have to work through problems or barriers
such as funding and space allocation.
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