Construction on campus continue to make progress

 By Carly Rieker

Harrisburg, Pa – Penn State Harrisburg’s new building, Student Enrichment Center, is set to open July 2016.

The architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the new building. They also designed the Educational Activities Building (EAB) on campus. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has received more than 625 regional, national, and international design awards, including three Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Some of their renowned designs are Bill Gate’s house, Pixar Animation Studios and Headquarters and the Apple Fifth Avenue location in New York City.

“There’s a reason we put [this building] in the heart of campus. We believe it will be the heart of campus,” said Dr. Holtzman.

Student Enrichment , located in the center of the campus and near the Library, will have three floors and five entrances with wheelchair access. The main attractions for the building are a theater/lecture hall with the capacity to hold 370 people, a lounge area with a fireplace, a game room, large screen TVs, food services, a convenience store (“Provisions”), a news bookstore and a multipurpose room.

“The Outpost” will be the name of the new food services, which will be open longer than Stacks. The selection of the name plays on Lower Swatara Township. Prior to Penn State Harrisburg, this location was an old Air National Guard Base. It was bought for one dollar and became the campus that we know. The Outpost was a special unit on this base whose specific job was to fly directly to the White House during national emergencies and take the president to safety.

The Career Services Office, the Learning Center, Counseling and Disability Services, and Division of Undergraduate Studies will be relocated to this building.  The Student Enrichment Center will also have large rooms for tutoring and club meetings. The complete list of amenities will be presented in the falll at the open house for new students.

The Student Enrichment Center wants to ensure students will have more space outside of classrooms to relax, express their interests, and to have a space on campus to be themselves.

Your college education is more than what happens in the classroom,” Donald R. Holtzman, senior director of student services, said. “The building is strictly for student enrichment.”