EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was inadvertently left out of the Feb. 9 University Times
By SUSAN JONES
The Board of Trustees Property and Facilities committee approved two renovation projects and three lease renewals at its Feb. 7 meeting.
Titusville student union
The McKinney Student Union is slated for renovations and infrastructure improvements to accommodate the Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC), at a cost of $7 million.
“The MAC will provide education and training for nontraditional students in precision manufacturing, computer numerical control programming, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing and other technical skills sought by local employers,” David DeJong, senior vice chancellor for business and operations, told the trustees.
Titusville’s Education and Training Hub officially launched in 2020 with partnership agreements with Northern Pennsylvania Regional College, Manchester Bidwell and the Swanson School of Engineering’s Manufacturing Assistance Center.
The project will repurpose underutilized sports and athletic areas, a former bookstore and other spaces to create a MAC workshop, classroom, makerspace, digital arts classroom, gallery and student gathering space.
Other projects
Benedum Hall subbasement HVAC upgrades: The subbasement air handling units were installed in 2008 to handle the programs active then. “The Swanson School of Engineering has added programs that now require changes in air handling configurations to meet programmatic and environmental requirements,” DeJong said. The project is estimated to cost $7.7 million.
Bridge at Forbes lease: The University plans to renew its lease of 230 beds at Bridge at Forbes for student housing — with the option to add up to 51 beds annually based on demand — and 50 parking spaces. “The University's housing inventory currently lacks capacity to fully meet on-campus student housing needs and requires a temporary solution while planning for future development,” DeJong said. The lease would be for four years, starting in August 2024, at an approximate total cost of $17.9 million.
Space leased to UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside: The board approved renewals of UPMC leases of approximately 203,000 square feet of space at Allen Magee Scaife Hall for five years beginning July 1, with a total rent of approximately $32.3 million; and approximately 84,125 square feet at Falk Clinic for five years beginning on July 1, with a total rent of approximately $7.3 million.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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