Grove City College is making nearly $4 million worth of improvements on campus this summer, spending that will enhance the student experience, expand and maintain College facilities, and boost the local economy.
One summer project, a complete overhaul of the Pew Fine Arts Center’s HVAC system, accounts for half of the total budget but the most noticeable improvement will be to the College’s storied Quad where a patio is being constructed at the base of the flagpole at its western edge. It is the first notable change to the Quad since it was laid out in the 1930s.
The 35-by-100-foot patio, outfitted with benches, will provide a gathering place on the Quad, a jumping off point for campus tours conducted by the Admissions Office, and a stage for events like commencement and baccalaureate. It will complement the curved terrace that overlooks Wolf Creek.
Other campus improvements include new carpet, furniture, paint, and window screen installation in residence halls, carpeting in hallways and offices in the Physical Learning Center, building automation upgrades to STEM Hall, new fire panels across campus, and restoration work to the slate roof of Harbison Chapel.
The seasonal projects are being done in tandem with the completion of a $50 million, top-to-bottom renovation and expansion of the College’s oldest academic building. The former Rockwell Hall, built in 1931, is being updated and reimagined as a 21st century hub for science and technology education and connected to STEM Hall, the College’s newest academic center. It will be ready for students returning in the fall and rededicated as the Smith Hall of Science and Technology. The renovation is part of Grove City College’s multi-year Impact 150 campaign.
The work done on campus this summer and throughout the year helps fuel the local, regional, and state economies, according to a 2022 study by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. Grove City College is responsible, directly and indirectly, for more than $175 million in statewide economic impact annually, AICUP concluded after analyzing direct spending on operations, wages, benefits, and capital projects and the estimated increase in demand for goods and services in industry sectors that supply or support the College. The College also supports and sustains 1,547 jobs statewide, including those employed directly and others created by supply and equipment vendors, contractors and service jobs and helps generate more than $8 million in tax revenue every year, AICUP’s analysis revealed.