Grove City College Works on $4M in Campus Improvements

GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College is investing more than $4 million in campus improvements this summer to provide students with more space for recreation, increase accessibility for Wolverine sports fans and spruce up a variety of spaces.

The most obvious improvements will be in the college’s Physical Learning Center, home of Wolverine athletics and student fitness and recreation facilities. The PLC’s lobby and main entrance is getting a makeover that includes improving accessibility for all sports fans, new flooring and carpeting. The arena’s floor is being sanded down and refinished. Both spaces will sport improved branding.

Another project will see the expansion of the patio at Lincoln Hall. The men’s residence hall’s outdoor space will be about three times larger than the current patio and feature a smokeless fire pit and new Polywood furniture. On Lower Campus, new pickleball courts, courtesy of the Class of 2024’s senior gift, are being installed between Thorne Field and Rainbow Bridge.

“The challenge is getting a lot of work done in a short amount of time. This is on top of our normal summer work to get the campus back in shape from the previous school year,” said Susan Grimm, vice president for operations. “People will notice the Lincoln Patio and PLC entrance the most,” she said. “And, of course, the pickleball courts are anticipated to be a hit – no pun intended.”

Much of the work being done is behind the scenes, Grimm said. That includes ongoing upgrades to building automation systems across campus, which allow the maintenance and operations team to monitor HVAC and other mechanical systems and remotely adjust each building’s environment; water and sewer line replacement; routine building maintenance; and power-washing the façade of Crawford Hall.

Other projects include carpeting in Memorial Field House and hallways in Hicks Hall, new stair treads in Memorial and Hicks halls, painting jobs across campus and installation of new furniture in MAP café.

The projects are being completed while the iconic Rockwell Hall is undergoing a nearly $50 million renovation. The work is part of Grove City College’s multiyear Impact 150 campaign and will connect the 90-year-old Rockwell – the oldest academic building on campus – with STEM Hall – the newest. When complete in fall 2025, the revamped building will be rededicated as the Smith Hall of Science and Technology.

Pictured at top: A crane is reflected in a convex mirror at the Rockwell Hall worksite on the campus of Grove City College.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.