Pitt Johnstown Mag Summer 2010 ver4 - Pitt-Johnstown Home Page ...

10
projects have been completed, or are
near completion:
• Construction has surpassed the
half-way point on the eagerly
awaited Wellness Center. The
40,000-square-foot facility, being
constructed at a cost of $9.7 million,
is scheduled for completion later
this semester. In addition to a
climbing wall, the facility will
include an elevated three-lane
running track, cardiovascular and
strength-training areas, dance
space, and two multipurpose courts
for basketball and volleyball.
• Pitt-Johnstown’s wrestling team
will soon have access to a training
facility befitting a nationally
ranked, championship squad. As
part of the Sport Center expansion,
which includes construction of the
Wellness Center, the wrestling room
is being expanded to double the
square footage in the facility.
• The Student Union has undergone
an extensive renovation. In
addition to major upgrades in the
main dining hall, which includes
the addition of Magellan’s, a
Mongolian-style grill, the entire
Tuck Shop area has been renovated
to make room for additional dining
options including Salsa Rico,
Simply to Go, and an expanded
Subway. The Fall Term also marked
the grand opening of Brioche Doreé,
a European-style café featuring
upscale fresh-baked pastries,
sandwiches and salads. The café is
located in the expanded food court
area.
• The Varsity Café, located in the
Living/
Learning
Center, has
undergone a
major facelift
and is the
new home of
Jazzman’s
Café, which
had
previously
been located
in the
PITT-Johnstown
Student Union. The new location
provides students, faculty, staff, and
visitors with a convenient and
highly popular café concept
creatively merged into the Varsity
Café dining space.
• A ribbon cutting ceremony was
held recently to unveil University
Square. The park, which creates
outdoor gathering space for
students, alumni, and visitors,
features a gazebo, lighting and
seating. University Square, which
was a focal point during
Homecoming, will be the new home
to Pitt-Johnstown’s Goodwill
Arches.
When asked about the renovations,
Sara Harper, president of the Pitt-
Johnstown Chapter of Habitat for
Humanity, said, “Compared to last
year, a lot has really been done to
improve the campus and create a
much more pleasant atmosphere. The
outdoor gathering space [University
Square] is really needed and I think it
is a big improvement to campus. It
makes the campus much more
appealing to the eye, and makes it
great for students to be able to sit
outside and enjoy the great weather
and take advantage of the
surroundings.”
In addition to a complete face lift, the Student Union dining areas offer new
dining options ranging from a Mongolian grill to a European-style cafe.
Projects completed over the past
three years include: interior
renovations to Larkspur, Foxfire,
Woodland, and Heather lodges;
conversion of all residential facilities,
with the exception of townhouses,
from key to swipe-card access; the
addition of Campus Police call boxes;
expanded lighting; and upgrades to
the campus’s residential computing
network (ResNet). Additionally, a
seven-year plan has been developed
with the Housing and Residence Life
department and Student Government
Association to further enhance
campus residential facilities. The
projects, which will be completed
based upon availability of resources,
will potentially invest an additional
$3 million into the campus.
“Quite clearly, we have made a
much more comfortable place for our
students to learn, live, and, yes, have
some fun along the way,” President
Spectar said. “These investments in
our future do not solve all of our
facility issues; there is still much to be
done. However, we are confident that
we have made major strides toward
preserving our competitive edge and
maintaining appropriate facilities to
retain our current students and
attract future students.”