Penn State’s plan to renovate the president’s suite in Beaver Stadium and install an exclusive elevator has been shelved. The project had been slated to be completed in time for the fall 2019 football season.
A Penn State physical plant spokeswoman said in an email that the project is on hold as the university evaluates options. She did not provide details about why the project has been shelved.
In February of this year, Penn State issued a request for a construction management firm to oversee two projects. The first, renovating the third-level suites, including the president’s suite in Beaver Stadium, with construction slated to begin in April 2019.
The second, adding a new elevator and lobby entrance that would provide “a more direct and exclusive access to the third level suites for guests and patrons.” Work on that was supposed to begin in December 2018.
The project had rubbed at least one university trustee the wrong way. Anthony Lubrano was a board member in the spring, but did not run for reelection.
“If we were going to spend $12 million, which is what this project was estimated to cost at least initially, I thought we could better spend it for the academic support at Penn State, not to provide for an elevator for an elite few people,” Lubrano said.
Penn State trustees’ approval is needed for construction and renovation projects that cost more than $10 million. But, because this project was split into two separate projects it may not have needed board approval.
