Penn State’s iconic Nittany Lion shrine now looks more like a construction zone than a picturesque place to pose for a photo. That’s because it is a construction zone, complete with a large blue fence and loud jackhammers blasting away.
Full scale renovation work officially began on the shrine Monday morning. The statue, a gift from the class of 1940, will be closed for the next three months.
The targeted reopening date is Monday, August 5th. There will be several upgrades to the popular spot including:
· Limestone rock gathered from Mount Nittany will be used to form a stairway, to accommodate large groups of people posing for photos.
· LED lights will improve security and assist with photography at night. Those lights will also be more energy efficient.
· Improved accessibility with a ramp to give people in wheelchairs an easier way to reach the statue.
Some preliminary work was done last month. The area was closed for a five-day span from April 15-19th before reopening the past three weeks to accommodate spring commencement.
Communications Coordinator for Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant Paul Ruskin is confident that construction crews can remain on schedule and meet the August 5th goal.
“We started on time, so that’s always good,” said Ruskin. “A big factor that could impact progress will be weather, but if things go mostly according to plan, we should have it open on time.”
They plan is to have all the work completed in time for summer graduation weekend set for August 9-11th.
In order to keep things on track, the area will remain blocked off during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in mid-July.
“We hate to close the lion shrine at all, but we have to do the work sometime, and the summer months interfere with the least amount of people,” explained Ruskin.
“It’s the most populated spot on campus. The finished product should allow for easier and better photos with a nicer surrounding area.”
