A wave of large-scale construction projects across Penn State’s University Park campus and downtown State College is moving forward on multi-year timelines, with many completion dates stretching into 2027 and beyond.
Many of these projects are advancing to their next stages in the coming months and are inching closer to completion. Some of them are being completed in phased schedules designed to maintain operations, including for football seasons at Beaver Stadium, occupied residence halls and traffic downtown.
For Penn State fans heading into town for Blue-White Weekend curious about the work that’s underway, here’s a rundown of the major projects.
Beaver Stadium
This one you’re probably familiar with. At Beaver Stadium, a $700 million renovation is underway after being approved in 2024. Early construction began that year, with major demolition on the west side starting in January 2025.
The project is scheduled for completion before the 2027 football season and plans to rebuild the stadium’s west side with a new structural frame with added suites, club seating and a welcome center. Additional upgrades include expanded concourses, improved concessions and restrooms, 24 elevators, 12 escalators, new lighting systems and enhanced connectivity. Work is being completed in phases across multiple offseasons to keep the stadium operational during football seasons. Major construction is currently in its second offseason.
Osmond Laboratory
At Osmond Laboratory on Pollock Road, a $115 million renovation and expansion began in March 2024 and is scheduled for completion in January 2027.
The project adds a 48,000-square-foot research wing with a high-bay laboratory space, underground facilities and renovated teaching areas. It also includes infrastructure upgrades such as stormwater systems and exterior site improvements.
Classroom Building
A new $96 million classroom building located near East Park Avenue and Bigler Road is scheduled to open for the fall 2026 semester.
The 102,000-square-foot facility will add roughly 2,200 classroom seats and includes large lecture halls with flexible seating designed to increase general-purpose instructional capacity, along with informal learning and study spaces.
University Park currently has only 24 large general-purpose classrooms with a capacity over 150, and each is heavily used with no open availability, Sara Thorndike, senior vice president of finance and business, told the Board of Trustees in November 2024.
Sackett Building
Over at Sackett Building along the Allen Mall near College Avenue, demolition began in 2024 as part of an $89.9 million renovation and expansion project scheduled for completion in fall 2027.
The work includes removal of the 1957 addition north and south wings to be replaced with new wings designed to complement the historic original 96-year-old building. Work will also include full interior reconstruction, with expanded and modernized classroom and administrative space for the College of Engineering, as well as a new, accessible pedestrian route to and around the building.
Pollock Halls
Renovations to residence halls in Pollock Halls, located south of Pollock Road near Shortlidge Road, are underway in phases. The $92.1 million first phase began in 2025 and is scheduled for completion in July 2026. It includes full interior reconstruction of Ritner and Wolf halls with new mechanical systems, bathrooms and updated student living spaces, while the exterior is getting a new look for improved aesthetics and thermal efficiency.
A second phase is set to begin in the coming weeks and finish in July 2027, with similar upgrades to Hiester and Shulze halls. The full Pollock renovation plan, encompassing a total of nine 1960s-era dorms, continues through 2030.
Calder Way Road Work
Road construction in downtown State College is centered on Calder Way, where a multi-year project to create a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly corridor and replace aging utility infrastructure continues after beginning in 2024.
Phase 2 and 2A are currently underway between South Atherton and South Fraser streets and at the at the intersection of East Calder Way and Hetzel Street. Work includes replacement of sewer, water, gas and electrical lines along with preparation for future streetscape upgrades such as improved lighting and pedestrian access. Additional phases are expected through 2027 to complete full surface reconstruction.
Coinciding with the Calder Way construction project, a new initiative, Calder Way Construction Crawl, has been encouraging downtown engagement with children and families while work continues along the alleyway. During Downtown State College Improvement District’s initiative, children have the opportunity to pick up a free hard hat and collect at least five stickers from participating businesses to receive a free activity book. Accompanying parents or guardians can also enter a monthly raffle through July for a $150 Downtown State College gift card.
The Mark
A 12-story high-rise planned for downtown State College is among the most significant private developments shaping the borough’s skyline, continuing a long pattern of high-density student housing construction along East College Avenue.
The project, known as The Mark, is under construction by Landmark Properties at the corner of East College Avenue, Sowers Street and East Calder Way. It is designed as a mixed-use building rising 155 feet, with 159 residential units on floors three through 11 and space for roughly 515 student beds. It includes a rooftop amenity deck, while the lower floors are planned for retail and amenity space.
McDonald’s formerly occupied one corner of the site and was initially included in design renderings for a ground floor retail space. After it closed in November 2024 in preparation for demolition, however, a Landmark representative said in early 2025 that McDonald’s was no longer included in the plans.
Demolition of the previous buildings on the site occurred in the fall and winter, and the project is expected to be completed for opening in fall 2028.
Landmark Properties also recently began construction for The Retreat on Westerly, a new student housing complex on the eastern side of the Westerly Parkway Plaza.
Nittany Residence Club
A condominium hotel that is believed to be the first of its kind in a college market is under construction at the corner of South Atherton Street and West Beaver Avenue, on the site that was last home to BioLife.
Nittany Residence Club, is a planned nine-story, 70-unit building that offers one- to three-bedroom luxury condominiums for sale to individual owners, who can use them as part-time or vacation homes but not as permanent residences. When the owner is not staying at the condo, they can choose to place it in the hotel inventory for overnight guest stays, with the owner receiving income and a percentage going to the hotel operator.
Penn State alumni Gary Brandeis, Jim Venture and Jamison Morse are developing the project, and Brandeis’ Scholar Hotel Group will operate the hotel. It is slated for completion in 2027.
Cava
Outside of downtown, a new development is underway at 1752 N. Atherton St. that will bring a Mediterranean restaurant chain’s first Centre County location. Cava is under construction on a 3.16-acre parcel in the 30-acre Patton Crossing development. The restaurant will include a 2,500-square-foot building with dine-in service and a drive-thru pickup lane designed for mobile and online orders.
Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.
