Work will soon begin on the next phase of renovations to the Pollock Halls residential complex at Penn State’s University Park campus.
The university’s Board of Trustees on Friday approved the $79.8 million project for the total renovation of Hiester and Shulze halls.
Construction is slated to begin in May, just as the $92 million first-phase renovations to neighboring Ritner and Wolf halls are near completion, Mark Miller, associate vice president and chief facilities officer, told the board’s Committee on Finance and Investment on Thursday, when the committee recommended approval.
Renovations to the 1960s-era dorms, which are the campus’ third-largest residential district, are part of a renewal plan developed in 2014 for East and Pollock halls, with East Halls work representing phases 1 and 2 completed between 2016 and 2024 (with a two-year COVID interruption in between).
Hiester and Shulze renovations are phase 3B of the East-Pollock plan, while Ritner and Wolf were 3A. Future phases to renovate the other five other Pollock halls are expected to take place through 2030.
The Pollock buildings are largely original and are graded as below-average condition and in need of major renovations, Miller said.
“Pollock accounts for about 18% of our total bed count at UP, so preserving their operation and bed count is critical for us,” he said.
Renovations will eliminate about $22 million in deferred maintenance.
“The project will take care of all of that deferred maintenance. We’re going to be resetting totally resetting the useful life of the buildings,” Miller said.
Similar to the first phase, work on Hiester and Shulze will include replacement and modernization of all building systems, installation of air conditioning, improved interior and exterior aesthetics, updated lounge and common spaces, improved ADA access and shared private bathrooms with “wet core” open sink areas to provide more privacy.
“We’re going to be preserving the existing bed count and actually adding to that a little bit,” Miller said.
Both buildings will have small additions, with the larger of the two in Shulze Hall for a ground-floor residential director apartment. ADA-accessible rooms will be included on the upper floors.
He added that with complete system renewal and “re-skinning” of the building, “a great improvement in our energy efficiency will go into this project also.”
Landscaping also will be upgraded for improved safety and access.
Funding for the project will come from Housing and Food Services, which is a self-supporting unit, and will include $67.4 million in borrowing and $12.4 million from reserves.
Construction is scheduled for completion in July 2027.
