September 04, 2009 12:00 am •
Work is on schedule for classes to begin in January 2010 at the Trickett Hall campus of the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle.
The university is expecting substantial completion of the Trickett Hall expansion and renovation project by late October, said Nancy Lamont, assistant dean for admissions.
The plan is for Penn State to move in new furniture and install audio-visual equipment by late November into early December, Lamont said.
All the computers, servers, phones, files and library books should be moved from storage and the Advantica building in Middlesex Township to the campus by Dec. 19 — one day after the last student final exam. Everything should be in place and ready by Jan. 11, the start of the spring 2010 semester, Lamont said.
Dean Philip McConnaughay said the structural work related to the project is complete. Crews are now installing the finishes, which include new light fixtures, ceiling tiles, carpeting and terrazzo floors.
Faculty members have been given tours of the Carlisle campus, McConnaughay said.
“We are happy about it. It is a beautiful project,” he said.
A dedication ceremony is planned for April 16.
The project began in January 2008 with the demolition of the 1963 and 1978 additions to Trickett Hall along with “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on South College Street that once served as faculty offices.
Lewis Katz Hall was constructed in the area between Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition. It includes three large classrooms, a courtyard, a commons area and a 200-seat courtroom/auditorium.
Trickett Hall, meanwhile, was renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library, a legislative hearing room and an audio-visual server and control room.
The 1985 addition has been renovated to house faculty and administrative offices, a cafe and rooms for seminars and interviews.
A small fire July 22 at the 1985 addition caused some damage to the roof of the building. It started when workers at the site were testing an emergency generator. There was a problem reported with the exhaust pipe and some combustible material that was too close to it.
Quick response from the Carlisle fire department kept the damage confined to a small area, McConnaughay said.
