Editor's note: Penn State's Board of Trustees approved plans to construct a new academic building at Penn State Abington, as outlined below, during its meeting on July 19.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning advanced a proposal today (July 18) to construct the first new academic building at Penn State Abington in more than 50 years. The proposal will be considered by the full board at its meeting on July 19.
The three-story, 85,554-square-foot building will house state-of-the-art learning and collaborative workspaces that support students as they prepare for careers in a rapidly evolving workforce. It will feature 17 classrooms, four laboratories, art studio space, faculty offices and student support spaces.
Margo DelliCarpini, Penn State Abington's former chancellor who transitioned to vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor last year, shepherded the project through its final planning phases.
“Our ability to be competitive and offer our students a world-class Penn State education requires investments in our facilities, our people, and our community. This new building advances our momentum toward these goals and fulfills our land-grant mission to offer innovative and affordable degree programs and co-curricular opportunities to residents of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” she said.
Chancellor Gary Liguori hailed the campus’s ongoing investments and impact on the local community.
“We educate Abington Township students and support them through specific scholarships that are only available to residents. We invested $5 million to upgrade and renovate Memorial Field for shared use by our students, the Abington School District and the community, and we renovated and constructed the baseball and softball fields at Alverthorpe Park. We also offer free and low-cost public programs. This new building is the latest step in solidifying our role in the community,” he said.
The proposed total project budget is $68 million. Once approved, construction is expected to begin in August with completion set for April 2026.