Penn State Plans New Complex at State College Campus

The Pennsylvania State University has selected Gilbane Building Company as program/construction manager for preconstruction services for five buildings on the State College campus. The new complex includes the Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal College of Business Administration (210,000 sf); two new buildings for the College of Agricultural Sciences: the food science department (112,000 sf) and the School of Forest Resources (84,000 sf); a 1,200-car parking deck; and a 3,000-ton chiller. Civic spaces, infrastructure, and landscape design guidelines will be provided by Sasaki Associates of Watertown, Mass. The Smeal College building, parking deck, and chiller plant will be designed by Bower Lewis Thrower Architects of Philadelphia and Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York, who will also develop architectural guidelines for all five buildings. Construction for the site, garage, and chiller plant will begin in late 2002. Groundbreaking for the business school is slated for August 2003, with completion in August 2005.