Penn State Lehigh Valley begins $14.4M expansion project

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Penn State Lehigh Valley has started construction of a $14.4 million expansion project that will include a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) wing, organic chemistry lab, new dining facility and veteran and adult learner lounge.

The 20,500-square-foot-project marks the first major construction initiative at the Upper Saucon Township campus.

At a groundbreaking ceremony at the south entrance to the campus, officials spoke about how the project would meet the needs of students looking for potential careers in STEM fields as well as health care, with the addition of the organic chemistry lab.

“We are confident that this expansion will soon be a reality for our students,” said Tina Richardson, chancellor for Penn State Lehigh Valley.

The three-story addition, targeted to open in January 2021, would go up near the south entrance of the campus, facing Center Valley Parkway.

Officials said the first floor will include a dining facility, with student services spaces on the second floor and a STEM wing on the third floor, including the organic chemistry lab. The STEM wing will support Penn State Lehigh Valley’s current health degree programs and allow the campus to grow the necessary educational pipeline for health professionals and provide more undergraduate research opportunities, officials said.

Richardson noted that with health care the largest employer in the valley, the new addition will provide an opportunity to change the success trajectory of so many students.

Eric Barron, Pennsylvania State University president, said the project promised to bring groundbreaking opportunities for students and faculty at the Lehigh Valley campus. He noted the need for students to have spaces to gather and socialize on campus, which the expansion would offer.

“How do you build a community if you don’t have the space to collaborate and relax?” Barron said. “With this project we are tackling that challenge.”

The university got support from generous donors, he added. Among them are William Spence, PPL chairman and CEO, who was a graduate of Penn State. Spence said Penn State provided him with an excellent education that helped him become who he is.

“It’s about expanding the opportunities right here in our own backyard,” he said.

Former Congressman Charlie Dent also spoke about his time as a Penn State student.

“I didn’t fully appreciate it as an undergraduate,” he said. “It’s extraordinarily important.”

Dent cited Penn State’s commitment to science and engineering education.

Penn State will also name the STEM wing after the former Congressman.

“Our students are at the center of this project,” said Madlyn Hanes, vice president and executive chancellor for Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses. “This will expand the learning environment and expand leadership opportunities. It will help us compete in an otherwise crowded marketplace.”

Hanes cited the importance of a dining facility that would serve healthier options and areas with increased opportunities for student engagement.

Officials said the expansion could help support the local economy with a focus on education for careers that are in demand.

Penn State Lehigh Valley hired Alvin H. Butz of Allentown as the construction firm for the project and Spillman Farmer Architects of Bethlehem as the architect.

The Lehigh Valley campus is in the process of raising $1.8 million from private donors to support the expansion.