I'll believe it when I see it

Don't turn your back on Penn State for a second.


No wrecking ball for Trickett Hall
By David Blymire, Sentinel Reporter, May 19, 2006


Score one for the preservationists.

Amid growing opposition, Penn State University has decided to scrap its plans for a modern Dickinson School of Law building.

Trickett Hall will be spared from the wrecking ball and preserved as the centerpiece of a $30 million construction project at the South College Street site.

"Instead of building a new law school facility, our plan now is to undertake an extensive renovation... which we believe still will enable us to achieve our objective as a unified two-campus law school," Dean Philip McConnaughay said Thursday.

The dean said Penn State had hoped to complete a $50 million project in Carlisle, "but the recent climate of opposition interfered with our ability to reach our financial goal and appeared to threaten ongoing delays and frustration in our ability to complete our new building in a timely fashion."

Area residents and historic preservationists collected more than 2,500 signatures on petitions and asked Carlisle Borough Council, Gov. Ed Rendell and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to intervene.

Two of the residents this morning were very happy with the announcement.


"Wow," was all Judi Shunk initially could say when she learned that Trickett would be retained.

Shunk took the group’s plea to borough council last week as residents packed borough hall for the council meeting.

"I am sitting here and I am smiling," she said this morning. "That’s probably the reaction of the committee. We are absolutely heartened by the decision."

Charles Andrews called the announcement "wonderful news" and added, "I applaud the decision. I think its the appropriate thing to do."
Previous plans

Penn State hired Polshek Partnership Architects of New York last fall to design new law school facilities for the campuses in State College and Carlisle.

The architects drew up plans for a long, narrow curvilinear structure at each location with a three-story, 80,000-square-foot structure planned for the Carlisle campus.

But those plans have been tossed aside and officials are starting over.

"The architects are now taking a fresh look at what we can do," McConnaughay said.

He said Penn State is aiming to complete renovations by January 2009 but the change of plans could delay the reopening of the building by six months.

With the recent change in direction, the dean couldn’t provide many details of the new plans.

"We will end up with a facility that is very nicely renovated and probably will provide as much...operating space as the new facility would have provided," he said. "Right now, we contemplate an extensive renovation rather than new construction."

He said the law school is still planning to move most of its operations to the Advantica building on Harrisburg Pike in Middlesex Township this summer.

The law school would remain there until the project at Trickett Hall is complete.

Some offices may remain behind at the Trickett Hall site, he added.

Council asked to help save Trickett Hall

Council asked to help save Trickett Hall

By David Blymire, May 12, 2006
*

A Carlisle resident Thursday asked borough council to join the fight to save the 88-year-old home of Dickinson School of Law from the wrecking ball.

"We are dangerously close, as you are aware, of forever losing this venerable emblem of both Pennsylvania’s historic law school and the borough of Carlisle," said Judi Shunk of the Old Neighborhoods League.

Shunk compared Trickett Hall to the Old Courthouse, Dickinson College’s Old West, the churches in the Carlisle Square, the statue of Molly Pitcher and Carlisle Theatre.

She asked council to seek a dialogue with Penn State officials on the preservation, renovation and expansion of Trickett Hall rather than demolition.

Supporters applaud remarks

Shunk’s remarks drew loud applause from the crowd of supporters who turned out at borough hall to make an impression on borough officials.

Penn State officials propose to demolish Trickett Hall at South College and West South streets to make way for a possible three-story building constructed in a modern architectural style.

That design was chosen by a university committee from among four designs created by Polshek Partnership Architects of New York. The design won’t become official until the Penn State trustees approve.

"We appreciate your passion on this," Council President Donald Grell told the Trickett Hall supporters. "This is a very prominent building in our community."

Borough’s options limited

But Grell also said that the borough’s options are limited, adding: "Penn State is making a very substantial investment in our community."

Vice President Linda Cecconello suggested council send a letter to Penn State President Graham Spanier and law school Dean Philip McConnaughay asking them to meet with the concerned citizens and members of borough council.

Councilman Perry Heath said what Penn State is proposing is "like putting a square peg in a round hole. Trickett Hall needs to be saved... at least the facade if not the whole building."

Timothy Wachter, Dickinson School of Law’s student "ambassador" on borough council, said he initially supported Penn State’s proposal but later changed his mind.

"I could not imagine associating myself with the current version of the plan," Wachter said.

No one spoke in favor of Penn State’s plans at Thursday’s borough council meeting.

But a Dickinson School of Law administrator said earlier Thursday that preliminary plans are still evolving.

"We haven’t come up with a final plan for Carlisle," said Nancy Lamont, assistant dean for administration.

She said preliminary plans were posted on the wall at Trickett Hall to allow people to offer comments and that the architects are considering those comments as the design progresses.

"We’re continuing to move forward, meet with the architects and review and revise plans," she said.

Lamont said she couldn’t offer a specific timetable on when the law school will apply for approval of the plans.

Meanwhile, Shunk told council the committee to save Trickett Hall has collected more than 2,500 signatures on petitions, many of which were collected last weekend during First Friday and the Amani Festival last weekend in downtown Carlisle.

She added that brochures produced for the upcoming Old Neighborhoods League house tour will include a mention of Trickett Hall, encouraging people to go see the building.

Group fights to save law school's Trickett Hall

Group fights to save law school's Trickett Hall
Friday, May 12, 2006
BY ELIZABETH GIBSON
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Preservationists yesterday asked Gov. Ed Rendell to persuade Penn State University to build a facility for The Dickinson School of Law that incorporates Trickett Hall.

They said plans to raze the 88-year-old building snub state and federal preservation goals.

More than 2,500 petition signers appear to agree.

Rendell was in Philadelphia yesterday and hadn't seen the Save Trickett Hall group's letter, petition and drawing of a proposed new facility, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

The sleek, steel structure in preliminary drawings clashes with the neighborhood, strays from state preservation goals and ignores Carlisle's White House designation as a Preserve America town, the group contends.

"We are passionate about our historic buildings," the preservationists stated in the letter to Rendell. Trickett "is the structure that is intimately connected with the tradition of Pennsylvania's oldest law school. It is part of the historic and architectural fabric of Carlisle. Its demolition would be an enormous loss to many."

Last night, the Carlisle Borough Council voted to ask Penn State to address concerns about Trickett.

"I honestly can't imagine anything else on that corner," said Linda Cecconello, council vice president.

Yet, some fear a fight to protect Trickett could bring a Penn State backlash, prompting the university to pull out of Carlisle.

Penn State President Graham Spanier said last night the university has and will continue to consider community input on a facility. And protests, although coming on the heels of a protracted struggle with Carlisle, won't shake the university's commitment to the town.

"This has indeed been a frustrating process, but our final decision will seek to be in the best interests of the law school, the university and the community," he said.

Penn State merged with the law school in 2000. A 2003 bid to move Dickinson to State College drew public fury. Now a sister school will be built there and the Carlisle school will be upgraded.

Save Trickett members said they feel duped as plans showed Trickett would be preserved. Bringing it down, "is a radical reversal ... without proper communication to the community," they said.

Their effort is gaining momentum. More than 2,500 have signed a petition and thousands have visited the www.savetricketthall.com Web site.

Dickinson College, which isn't affiliated with the law school, hasn't denounced Penn State's plan, but it posted Save Trickett petition information on its Web site until yesterday.

New facility plans would require borough approval, but a permit to raze Trickett would come from the state Labor and Industry office. Penn State hadn't sought a permit as of yesterday.

Save Trickett members hope there's still time to re-work the project.

They said the planned contemporary building would contradict a Pennsylvania Keystone Principles goal to rehabilitate historic buildings and neighborhoods.

And, they said, it would sully Carlisle's standing with Media and Montgomery County as the state's only Preserve America communities. Congress will spend up to $5 million this year on the program's preservation efforts.

Joe Elias contributed to this report. ELIZABETH GIBSON: 249-2006 or egibson@patriot-news.com

Citizens consider strategies to save Trickett Hall

Citizens consider strategies to save Trickett Hall
By Linda Franz, May 11, 2006

The Committee to Save Trickett Hall grilled a Carlisle employee about law school plans Wednesday and approved sending a three-page letter to Gov. Ed Rendell along with copies of Save Trickett Hall petitions signed by about 2,500 people.

Alycia Reiten, manager of planning, zoning and codes enforcement for the borough, told the committee Wednesday that no land development plan has been submitted so far for the proposed demolition of Trickett Hall and construction of a new facility at Penn State Dickinson School of Law’s South College Street site.

"Once the land development process is complete, they can go ahead and apply for demolition permits and building permits," she said.

The earliest demolition is likely to occur would be after borough council’s Aug. 10 meeting, Reiten said. But Penn State could potentially go through the state Department of Labor and Industry for demolition approval, she added.

The Penn State Board of Trustees has not yet approved design plans. The board may consider the plans as early as July, university spokesmen have said.

Emotions irrelevant

"When it comes down to the emotions of the neighbors and how it affects the community, that has no effect" on the borough’s decision to approve the land development plan, Reiten said.

And she told the dozen committee members to keep in mind that "everybody fought so hard" to keep the law school in Carlisle. With a fight over Trickett Hall, the law school "could pick up and leave."

Preliminary proposals for a new law school building are "stunningly inappropriate," downtown merchant Charles Andrews responded. "Council is worried about keeping the school here but at what price? It’s a historic town. That’s why we’re fighting this."

No choice

If the plan meets all of the requirements, council has no choice but to approve it, Reiten said, adding Penn State has "lot size enough to accommodate parking as required in the ordinance."

Trickett Hall is not in Carlisle’s historic district, is not a historic landmark and is not on any list to be included on the National Historic Register, she added.

Carlisle lawyer James Flower said if the law school submits a plan that doesn’t require a variance, the committee’s best bet is to persuade the governor and the Penn State trustees that Trickett Hall should be saved.

Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said this morning that when the letter reaches the governor’s desk, he will take a "comprehensive" look at it.

"The governor has not had an opportunity to review the facts and consequently even come close to making a decision," Ardo said.

When asked if Rendell has had any contact with Penn State to discuss the building proposal, Ardo said "not to my knowledge."

The committee plans to display at least one "Save Trickett Hall" banner this weekend while Penn State officials and others are in town for the law school ‘s graduation ceremonies.

Andrews suggested a yard sign campaign similar to the "Monster Warehouse" effort that was waged in South Middleton Township could be organized in the next few weeks.

"We’ve got to get this whole community behind us or it ain’t going to happen," Andrews said.

Trickett not up to council

From the Carlisle Sentinel


Trickett not up to council

By David Blymire, May 11, 2006


Members of Carlisle Borough Council say they’re sympathetic to the cause of preserving Trickett Hall.

But most polled Wednesday said the borough has only limited options to stop Penn State from demolishing the structure at South College and West South streets to make room for a modern-style building.

The panel has no authority to regulate the design of new structures, Council President Don Grell said. "There will be a lot of disappointment if Trickett Hall comes down, but in terms of specific legal powers, there are limits on what the borough can do," he said, adding he would rate Trickett Hall among the 10 "best-known" structures in the borough.

Letter suggested

Council member Perry Heath said he will suggest that council authorize a letter asking Penn State to reconsider the modern design proposed to replace Trickett.

"If there’s anything Penn State can do to save Trickett Hall, they should do it," he said, adding he has a "great deal of sympathy for" what the preservationists are trying to accomplish..

Heath shares Grell’s view that borough council members "are not in a position to create any ordinances."





Councilman Frank Rankin supports Heath’s suggestion that the borough write Penn State a letter expressing the community’s concerns.

He said it was hard to miss people seeking signatures on save-Trickett petitions during downtown events Friday and Saturday.

"I certainly am looking forward to the days ahead and seeing if Penn State will cooperate and be receptive to council’s request," he said.

Councilman Doug Heineman said he would support the preservation effort only if Penn State agrees.

"If the dollars and cents can be arranged to save Trickett Hall where it makes sense for everybody, then I’m all for it," Heineman said. "But my primary objective is to keep the law school here."

Councilman Timothy Scott said he’s asked the law school to send representatives to tonight’s council meeting to answer questions about the building proposal.

"I find myself sympathetic (with the preservationists) to the extent that they feel Penn State seems to be ignoring them and they don’t have a voice in this whole matter," he said.

District to expand?

Councilman William Kronenberg expressed strong support for the preservation effort and added he would support measures to save Trickett from the wrecking ball.

That would include expanding the historic district to include the Dickinson School of Law campus, an idea suggested by some residents who want to save Trickett.

Other council members are much more cautious about that idea. Several suggested it would be spot zoning — singling out a particular property for special treatment.

Grell said borough staff is doing some initial research on the concept. But he and Scott both said there may not be enough time to expand the historic district, a lengthy, complex process, and Grell questions the fairness of such a change to the property owner, Penn State.

Council Vice President Linda Cecconello said the idea is "something I want to look further into."

She has many questions about its feasibility, including whether the historic district could be expanded down one side of the street and not the other. She wants to know whether other properties would have to be involved in the expansion and what the impact would be on those properties.

Community Support to Save Trickett Hall

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Save Trickett Hall's historical significance

Sunday, May 07, 2006

The greater Carlisle community is facing a challenging future if Penn State continues its stance at changing the character and important heritage of the Dickinson School of Law.

There was an architectural plan in 2005 to save Trickett Hall and add structures where the dormitories now stand.

For some reason, not fully explained to the public, that proposal was dropped and a very modern and out-of-place structure for this community was proposed.

No one knows for sure what it will look like, since the design is a deep dark secret. Even the model on display in the lobby of Trickett Hall is said to not be the design Penn State is planning. I wonder why it is even there for anyone to see who visits that part of the law school.

Wouldn't everyone think that this odd-looking design is what Penn State University President Graham Spanier and his cronies are planning?

There is a rumor that Penn State will pull out of the deal for two campuses if the controversy continues. I trust Gov. Ed Rendell to put together the language to prevent that from ever happening.

It is time for local and state officials, including the governor, to call a halt to the destruction of this famous structure and the law school itself.

-- WAYNE POWELL, Carlisle

No Respect for Trickett Hall

Historic value sparse, Spanier says

Thursday, April 27, 2006

BY ELIZABETH GIBSON

Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Penn State University President Graham Spanier said that the effort to preserve Trickett Hall is misdirected and that the building has only limited historic significance.

He spelled it out in a rebuttal letter to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which asked Spanier to reconsider demolishing the 88-year-old home of The Dickinson School of Law.

"In truth, Trickett Hall has meaning for law school graduates and Carlisle residents precisely because it serves as the current home of The Dickinson School of Law, not because of its architectural or historic significance apart from the law school," Spanier wrote.

Spanier did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

But members of local historic preservation groups, who have formed the Save Trickett Hall committee, met last night and said Spanier is selling the building short.

"It's a treasured historic landmark in Carlisle ... a symbol of The Dickinson School of Law, the first law school in Pennsylvania," said Wendy Pires, who lives on South College Street near Trickett.

"A lot of people think this building is in bad shape. We have to put them straight," said Steven Smith, who appealed to the National Trust on behalf of the group.

Penn State has said it would cost more to renovate than tear down Trickett and build anew.

The wrecking ball, scheduled for this summer, will make way for a $50 million facility to open in 2008.

Donations of $15 million will help fund the project. Law school officials said up to $10 million of gifts will come from one donor who has insisted on a new building.

The donor likely will have his or her way, state officials learned earlier this week.

Sen. Pat Vance, R-Cumberland, said she and Rep. Will Gabig, R-Carlisle, met Monday with law school Dean Philip McConnaughay.

"We both expressed our feelings about trying to have some semblance of Trickett remain," Vance said. "Renovating it is probably not feasible. I think the realism of it is, the people who are putting up the money think [the proposed replacement] is beautiful."

Carlisle fought off Penn State's 2003 proposal to move Dickinson to State College. Last year, Penn State promised to expand Trickett and build a second law campus in State College.

Outrage that Save Trickett members feel at losing the structure is apparently intensified by what they said is a general community reluctance to stand up to Penn State for fear the university will move the law school to State College.

They also said that many people are unaware that the proposed replacement is a startling contrast to Trickett and to the homes that surround it.

A letter from Adrian Fine, director of the National Trust's Northeast field office, asked Penn State to "encourage discussion about exploring options that might allow for the retention and integration of this important landmark into the new facility."

Jim Flower, a law school alumni and member of Save Trickett who lives near the school, said he wants discussions to start quickly.

"Once Trickett Hall is torn down, Dickinson Law will be gone, and all that will be left will be Penn State," he said.

ELIZABETH GIBSON: 249-2006 or egibson@patriot-news.com

Trickett Hall use to end by this fall

Trickett Hall use to end by this fall

By David Blymire, April 4, 2006

Penn State Dickinson School of Law plans to move out of Trickett Hall this summer.

The school will start fall semester classes in the former United Telephone building in the 1100 block of Harrisburg Pike in Middlesex Township, Dean Philip McConnaughay says.

"A substantial part of the move will occur in early June," he says.

The proposed demolition of Trickett Hall and construction of a new facility at the South College Street site prompted the school to seek temporary quarters for law school classes.

The timetable for demolition and reconstruction is not yet clear. Penn State trustees have not yet approved plans for the new complex, though that could happen as early as July. Then the plans must go through the borough approval process.

Limited renovation expected

McConnaughay describes the Harrisburg Pike building — more recently home to Stoner Associates and Advantica — as an "elegantly remodeled" structure that doesn’t need substantial renovation to convert it from offices to classroom space.

"They did a substantial amount of work for different tenants over the years," he says. "It’s highly suitable as is."

However, Penn State will make the building more accessible and take down some walls to create useable classroom space, he says.

Advantica recently relocated its Carlisle-area office — one of the British-owned company’s two offices in North America — to new quarters in the 600 block of Bent Creek Boulevard in Silver Spring Township.

Middlesex officials last week cleared the way for Penn State to occupy the building.

Township supervisors amended an ordinance allowing colleges and post-secondary educational facilities in the commercial highway district, Zoning Officer Mark Carpenter says. Dormitory facilities will not be allowed, he adds.

Carpenter says law school officials have discussed their application for a building permit to complete the renovations.

Supervisor Victor Stabile previously called the law school’s use of the building a "win" for both sides. Supervisors don’t want the building to sit vacant for long and the school also gets the room it needs during its construction project.

Celebration planned

Meanwhile, Dickinson law school alumni will be invited to a major event planned for the first week of June to mark the end of classes at Trickett Hall, McConnaughay says.

"We will be inviting people in to share with us the sad but celebratory moment of our departure," he says, adding it will also celebrate the future of the law school.

Residents who live near the law school will see students at the site through the middle of summer, as the school’s annual summer law scholar program will run from June 5 through July 15.

The special program gives up to 17 Penn State undergraduate students a chance to get their feet wet in a law school for six weeks each summer, says Director Gisine Brignola.

Parking changes

Looking further into the future, McConnaughay says the law school still needs to address long-term parking needs at the South College Street site.

Classes could return to the new facilities in the borough as early as the 2008-09 school year.

McConnaughay says officials would like to see a combination of offsite parking and "enforcement of parking controls near our site so we release the burden on our neighbors,"

He also predicts better days for residents who live near the law school.

"A lot of bad parking habits will be broken over the next couple of years," he says.

It's just too sad to think about

Too Flawed To Save?

By David Blymire, January 17, 2006

A symbol of Dickinson School of Law since 1918 may have to come down if challenging structural issues can’t be resolved.

"One question we’re examining closely is the relative cost of preserving original Trickett Hall," law school Dean Philip McConnaughay says. "It’s turning out that there are some very significant, very costly, structural challenges involved in preserving Trickett."

No final decisions have been made, but McConnaughay says that "it’s certainly possible that we and our major donors might prefer to raze Trickett and invest instead in an entirely new signature building for the law school and the community."

If that were to happen, a new facility would include architectural features that "honor" Trickett Hall, he says.

The new building could include architectural features from Trickett, such as parts of the bell tower, he says.

A matter of budgeting

Penn State University last year embarked on a plan to split the law school into two campuses, renovating the Carlisle facility and building new quarters at the main campus in State College.

Penn State’s board of trustees hired Polshek Partnership of New York last fall to design facilities for both locations.

It now appears that saving Trickett would consume a larger portion of the $30 million to $50 million available for the project than expected, reducing the money available for construction of the proposed additions, McConnaughay says.

He explains that two fire stairwells added to the structure in the 1960s are separating from the original structure and are "in need of major attention."

Also, the entire back side of the original Trickett Hall was removed in order to accommodate later additions in the 1970s and 1980s.

Officials expect, as with any major construction project, they also would be required to retrofit Trickett Hall to meet current fire safety codes, he says.

"All of these structural issues and more suggest the cost of renovation is likely to exceed a manageable portion of the project budget," McConnaughay says.

Under the two-campus plan approved last year, Penn State would invest $10 million into renovations and upgrades at the Carlisle campus.

Another $10 million to $15 million raised in contributions from alumni and other sources would be matched by up to $25 million in state funds committed by Gov. Ed Rendell.

McConnaughay says fundraising is going "extremely well and there is a distinct possibility that we may end up with a $50 million budget" for the Carlisle project.

Officials weigh in

Local and state officials have been briefed on the issue. None has expressed opposition to the idea of demolishing Trickett.

"We want to keep the law school in Carlisle for many years to come — that’s the bottom line," says state Sen. Pat Vance, R-31.

She says "it’s very expensive to renovate an old building." She adds Trickett is not the law school’s original home and the rear of the building is in bad shape.

"If the new building can have a facade that somewhat resembles Trickett and it keeps Dickinson School of Law rooted in Carlisle, that’s a good thing," she says. "That’s my prime objective."

County Commissioner Bruce Barclay, whose background is in construction, says a core building separating from an addition is a serious problem.

"If the problems are as bad as the dean said, it makes sense to not expend the extra funds to make the structural repairs to Trickett Hall."

Barclay adds that "if he (McConnaughay) can make it work out, we’ll have a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility."

Carlisle Borough Council President Don Grell says he was a little surprised by the news about Trickett, adding he wasn’t aware of the building’s condition.

He calls Trickett Hall "the face of the law school" but "I respect their right to do what they think they need to do with the campus."

State Rep. Will Gabig, R-199, thinks the final decision on how to resolve the problem is one for Penn State and the law school to make.

"I appreciate the dean talking to us," he says.

Fast facts

Trickett Hall, a Colonial-style structure at South College and West South streets was named after William Trickett, who served as the law school’s dean from 1890 until his death in 1928.

The law school was housed from 1890 to 1918 in Emory Hall, a building loaned to the law school by Dickinson College. Emory stood at the site of what is now Grace United Methodist Church at West and Pomfret streets in Carlisle.

Judge John Reed originally held law school classes in the lower level of what today is the home of Dickinson College President William Durden at the corner of West High and South West streets in Carlisle.

Are the bad guys patting themselves on the back?

Central Penn Business Journal
November 11, 2005
Volume 21; Issue 47
MOVERS & SHAKERS: Coalition keeps law school in Carlisle
Doody, Angela
When Cumberland County officials heard Penn State University might close its Dickinson School of Law campus in Carlisle, a lot of behindthe-scenes shuffling took place to make sure that didn't happen.

"It was a lot of people who knew people getting in touch with people who knew people," said Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson.

Much local pressure was applied to university officials to keep the campus firmly planted in the borough. Many of those involved who wish to remain anonymous - made numerous phone calls to anyone in authority who they thought could help the cause, said Wilson, who was an outspoken champion in the battle.

Dickinson School of Law, which was established in 1834, is the state's oldest law school. The school merged with Penn State University in 2000.

In 2003, law school officials first considered moving the school - or a portion of it - to Penn State's main campus to give students more academic oppor tunities. It also was hoped that by moving to a major research university, the school's national ranking would improve. it also would have allowed the school to attract renowned faculty and allow existing faculty to work with other professionals in other disciplines.

"Basically our distance kept us separate from University Park," said Kelly Jones, the school's director of marketing and communications.

But Carlisle officials didn't buy into the proposal.

"We basically showed them we were not going to roll over and play dead. The school was founded in Carlisle, and we showed we were going to fight tooth and nail to keep it there," Wilson said. He noted that some studies have shown the historic law school brings in as much as $100 million a year to the local economy.

Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce, the county's Redevelopment Authority and state officials such as former state Sen. Hal Mowery (RCumberland County) worked together to make sure the law school stayed firmly rooted in the borough, Wilson said. Gov. Ed Rendell's interest and commitment of state funds were also pivotal, he noted.

The 18-month struggle ended in May when the Penn State board of trustees agreed to keep the law school in Carlisle for at least 20 more years. In exchange, Rendells office promised the university $25 million in state funding toward an upgrade of the Carlisle campus and a new law school at the University Park campus.

Penn State's two-facility proposal calls for $60 million to be spent on a new law school building at University Park and $40 million to be spent on the Carlisle campus. The law school is in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign for renovations at the existing school.

If fund-raising efforts go as planned, construction is scheduled to begin in Carlisle next summer and be completed before the 2008-09 school year, said Phil McConnaughay, dean of Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

Should the university back out of its commitment, the Dickinson Law School Association has the ability to take over the building for free and take back the name of the school. The university would also have to pay back the $25 million in state funding.

In addition to university administrators and board of trustees, Penn State President Graham B. Spanier credited the decision to upgrade the Carlisle campus to the law school's board of trustees and the Carlisle community in general.

"If I had to cite two people to feature, it would be (H. Laddie Montague Jr.), former chair of the Board of Governors of the Dickinson School of Law and our dean, Phil McConnaughay," Spanier wrote in an e-mail response.

Locally, Carlisle attorney Hubert X. Gilroy is a Dickinson School of Law alumnus and a member of its now defunct board of governors. He also gives the board of governors much of the credit in the decision.

Gilroy said the board of governors demanded that there would be no consideration of a school at State College unless the current facilities were upgraded.

"Kirk Wilson gets a Pat on the back, too. He was one of the first government representatives to make sure the governor had this on his radar screen," Gilroy said.

While much was at stake in the decision, some local officials said they understood the university's interest in moving the school. Even now, there are still some in the community who are not happy with the existing compromise, said Michelle Hornick Crowley, president of Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce its like a bad divorce: There are two sides to every story," Hornick Crowley said.

Wilson said the university's 20-year commitment is a key point to the law school's continued presence in Carlisle. In two decades, leadership will have changed, and the local school will have had more time to become a more critical part of the main campus' law program.

"We thought it belonged here because it was born here, and it should stay here because it can grow here," Wilson said.

The Demise of DSL to Begin in Fall 2006

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) November 12, 2005
Law school to go on campus in 2006
From CDT staff reports
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State will admit first-year Dickinson School of Law students to its University Park campus starting in fall 2006.

The university and the law school's former board of governors reached an agreement earlier this year allowing for the establishment of a University Park campus. The law school is based in Carlisle, and the plan for two locations faced strong opposition from the community there and some members of the school's board of governors.

The law school and university have been affiliated since 1997.

The university plans to build a University Park facility for the law school on Park Avenue and upgrade the Carlisle campus for a total cost of $100 million. Both parts of the project are expected to be finished in 2008.

Until them, University Park law classes will take place in Beam Building on Park Avenue, according to a university news release.

When students apply to the law school, they can specify whether they prefer the University Park campus or the Carlisle campus.

New law school to be built on Park Avenue

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) September 9, 2005

New law school to be built on Park Avenue

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State will build the Dickinson School of Law's University Park location on Park Avenue next to the arboretum site. The university board of trustees approved the appointment of architects for the project during today's meeting. Polshek Partnership of New York, and Office for Planning and Architecture of Harrisburg will design the new University Park facility and the renovation and expansion plans for the Carlisle facility.

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State will build the Dickinson School of Law's University Park location on Park Avenue next to the arboretum site.

The university board of trustees approved the appointment of architects for the project during today's meeting. Polshek Partnership of New York, and Office for Planning and Architecture of Harrisburg will design the new University Park facility and the renovation and expansion plans for the Carlisle facility.

University officials have said the University Park facility could cost $60 million. The university had also looked at putting the building at the corner of Park Avenue and University Drive and at Research Park.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said while all three sites had advantages, the chosen location will put the school near the Smeal College of Business' new building and other university facilities. He said it will be easy to get to and look out over the arboretum.

Plans for the University Park law school campus follow an ongoing dispute between Penn State and some members of the law school's former board of governors. Some members of the board and the Carlisle community did not want to see a University Park campus. Under the agreement between the university and the board of governors, that board was dissolved and a new seven-member one will be appointed.

Board approves architect for law school expansion, renovation

Board approves architect for law school expansion, renovation
Friday, September 9, 2005

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University Park, Pa. -- Moving forward on Penn State's plans for a two-campus Dickinson School of Law, the University's Board of Trustees today (Sept. 9) approved the appointment of Polshek Partnership of New York and Office for Planning and Architecture of Harrisburg, Pa., to design plans for the renovation and expansion of the current facilities at the law school's Carlisle campus and the construction of new facilities at University Park.

Gary C. Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer of the university, explained plans for the expanded facilities at both campuses will include courtrooms, legislative hearing rooms, auditoriums, libraries, state-of-the-art classrooms, common spaces and exterior gathering spaces.

The original portion of Trickett Hall at the Carlisle campus will be renovated, along with the construction of a new building. The planned new facility at University Park will be located north of Park Avenue, adjacent to the Arboretum and in close proximity to the new Smeal College of Business Administration Building and Forest Resources Building.

Trustees to focus on state funding

Trustees to focus on state funding

The board members will also discuss plans for the Dickinson School of Law.

By Jonathan J. Hukill

Collegian Staff Writer

The Penn State Board of Trustees will meet today to consider how much funding the university will request from the state Legislature and to make further plans for the Dickinson School of Law.

Board members will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., for an all-day meeting to discuss current issues affecting the university.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said the major issue on the agenda will be the approval of the university's 2006-07 state appropriation request.

"It could very well be a request to have the state return to the 2001-02 funding level, which was higher," he said. "It has a big bearing on what we're able to do with tuition rates."

Kendig said the university needs to ask for more funding because of previous cuts by the state. The university made the same request to the Legislature last year but was denied the funding. Last year's state appropriations totaled $323.6 million, though the university requested $334.8 million.

"We're still catching up to almost $44 million in budget cuts from the early part of this decade," Kendig said.

Undegraduate Student Government (USG) Vice President Luke Adams, who will be representing USG at the meeting, said he wants to talk about tuition.

"I don't get very long to talk, but tuition will be a big issue," he said.

Adams said he expects state appropriations to decrease this year, which will hurt students.

"You're just going to see more of what you see every year, like higher student activity fees, higher gym fees and increasing tuition," he said. "Whatever they can hike up, they hike up."

USG faces problems with trying to lower tuition every year, he said.

"Getting our voice heard isn't the problem," he said. "Getting the legislators to care enough to take us seriously is the trouble."

He added that the university would also be considering the appointment of an architect for Dickinson School of Law buildings as well as the possibility of building new graduate housing on campus. The trustees will debate the proposals for the capital budget request, which funds construction projects on Penn State campuses.

"We're moving ahead with our plans for the dual-campus structure," Kendig said. "These are the early steps in making that a reality."

Raising money for the Carlisle campus

From the Digital Collegian (Penn State U student newspaper).
Thanks to Mark Hammond for passing this along

Dickinson dual-campus plan stays

By Rebecca Short

Collegian Staff Writer

The university has started a $10 million fundraising campaign to help renovate the Dickinson School of Law's Carlisle campus, a month after a Cumberland County judge ruled that the development of a dual-campus law school plan could continue.

The $10 million will be added to the $25 million given to Dickinson by the state in early May and $10 million already promised by the university to aid in renovating the Carlisle campus.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said Carlisle's renovations and $60 million construction at University Park will follow the same timeline, beginning next summer and ending in fall 2008.

Mahon said a February lawsuit had not interfered with development plans for the University Park facility, which is tentatively planned for the corner of University Drive and Park Avenue.

The enrollment process will be the same for both campuses and specialized law programs could be placed at both campuses, he said, adding that further plans will be discussed during fall Penn State Board of Trustees meetings.

The lawsuit was filed by three members of the law school's Board of Governors who believed the plan violated a 1997 merger agreement that named Carlisle as the law school's primary location. Mahon said the Carlisle campus would remain open for at least another 15 years at Gov. Ed Rendell's request, but could operate "well beyond" the agreed date.

"We're not going to invest tens of millions of dollars in a plan that we think is going to fail," Mahon said.

G. Thomas Miller, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, said the main problem with the plan was that an independent party had never evaluated the situation.

"There was no independent oversight," he said. "There were only representatives of people who wanted it to happen."

Under the current agreement, the Board of Governors will be dissolved Aug. 1 in favor of a seven-member Board of Directors.

Miller said the change will leave no one to operate the Carlisle campus if it becomes independent "when Penn State decides to close it."

"We're primarily concerned about the longevity of the Carlisle campus," Miller said. "[The agreement] does not guarantee longevity."

Miller has asked a lower court for a new trial, and he hopes a decision will be made by the end of July.

"I doubt they'll grant a new trial," he said.

If his request for a new trial is denied, he said he will begin the appeal process.

"The university administration does not like the Carlisle campus," Miller said. "It will go away, but by inches rather than by yards or feet."

Mahon again called Miller's claims "ridiculous," and said the law school greatly benefits the Carlisle community.

"It would be silly of us to invest this much time and this much money into something that's going to fail," he said.

Mahon said he will not respond to every single claim made by Miller.

"It'll be one of the very best law schools in the country. We've got a great solid plan in place and it's going to be a success," Mahon said.

Law school professor Robert Ackerman said the lawsuit and the construction plans are not affecting the atmosphere of the office. He said a "program committee" has been formed to help plan the facilities, but he was not directly involved in that process.

"I'm just sitting here just waiting for the wreckers' ball to hit my building," he said.

Round Four.....or is it Round Five? I've lost count.

Story from Harrisburg Patriot News:

CARLISLE

Reopening of law-school case sought

Thursday, June 02, 2005

BY ELIZABETH GIBSON

Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Three dissident members of The Dickinson School of Law's

board of governors are asking Cumberland County Court to reconsider its

dismissal of their case against Penn State University and the governors

board.

Judge Edward E. Guido last week denied claims brought by G. Thomas

Miller, Leslie Anne Miller and Tom Monteverde.

The three had claimed that the university bullied the governors board

into accepting a plan to build a second law campus in State College.

They claimed the board violated procedures and failed to get an

objective evaluation of the two-campus plan.

In a motion filed yesterday, the Millers and Monteverde ask the court to

modify or change its decisions and reopen the case.

They said, among other things, that the court's refusal to force Penn

State President Graham Spanier and Rodney Erickson, executive vice

president and provost, to produce e-mails hampered their case.

Judge OKs another law school campus

Philadelphia Inquirer (PA) May 24, 2005

Judge OKs another law school campus It will be built at Penn State. Three board members of the Dickinson School of Law opposed it.
By Mark Scolforo, Associated Press
The Dickinson School of Law and Pennsylvania State University can go ahead with a plan to build a second law-school campus in State College, a county judge ruled yesterday.

The Dickinson School of Law and Pennsylvania State University can go ahead with a plan to build a second law-school campus in State College, a county judge ruled yesterday.

Cumberland County Judge Edward E. Guido, ruling against law school board members trying to stop the new campus, said the board "exercised due care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances."

The suit to stop the dual-campus plan was filed by Dickinson School of Law board members Leslie Anne Miller, Gov. Rendell's former general counsel; and her father, lawyer G. Thomas Miller; and emeritus board member Tom P. Monteverde.

They were on the losing side of a 17-14 vote by Dickinson's board in January to accept Penn State's proposal. They believe the second campus may eventually spell the end of the law school's original Carlisle campus.

Last week, Guido dismissed their suit against Penn State. Yesterday's ruling involved their suit against the board and its chairman.

Penn State and the law school, established in Carlisle in 1834, completed a merger in 2000.

Monteverde, a Philadelphia lawyer who joined the board in 1976, said he and the Millers had not decided whether to appeal.

The January deal would have kept open the Carlisle campus for at least 10 years, but more recently Rendell gave Penn State up to $25 million in state funds to renovate and expand the law school in return for a commitment to operate it in Carlisle for at least 20 years.

Dickinson pact debated

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) May 21, 2005
Dickinson pact debated

The Associated Press CARLISLE -- Lawyers on Friday debated whether the governing board of Penn State's law school should have gotten an independent analysis before approving a plan to build a second campus at the University Park campus.

The Associated Press

CARLISLE -- Lawyers on Friday debated whether the governing board of Penn State's law school should have gotten an independent analysis before approving a plan to build a second campus at the University Park campus.

Jack Stover, a lawyer for The Dickinson School of Law board of governors, said there was no such requirement and that dissenting board members had plenty of time to call for one during more than a year of deliberations.

"You can't in hindsight come back after the fact and say, 'Oh, gosh. You should have done something differently,'" Stover said in closing arguments.

But John Stoviak, a lawyer for those suing to stop the dual-campus plan, said Penn State officials and the law school dean had been pushing for a University Park campus from the beginning and wielded too much authority.

"This process is flawed from the get-go because it's controlled by advocates," Stoviak said. "They're not talking about what's the best thing. They're talking about how to get the votes."

Cumberland County Judge Edward E. Guido said he would issue an order Monday.

The plaintiffs -- Leslie Anne Miller, Gov. Ed Rendell's former general counsel; her father, lawyer G. Thomas Miller; and emeritus board member Tom Monteverde -- were among those who dissented when Dickinson's board voted 17-14 to accept Penn State's proposal on Jan. 15.

The trio sued, arguing that the proposal would allow Penn State to eventually close the original campus. Penn State and Dickinson School of Law merged beginning in 1997, and the lawsuit alleged the two-campus plan would "unilaterally terminate" an agreement that required Penn State to keep the law school permanently in Carlisle. The merger was completed in 2000.

The two-campus plan approved in January called for Penn State to keep the Carlisle campus open for at least 10 years while it develops the State College campus. More recently, Rendell negotiated an agreement with Penn State that would increase the university's commitment to Carlisle to at least 20 years in exchange for up to $25 million in state funding for renovating and expanding the Carlisle campus.

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) May 20, 2005

Judge dismisses suit against Penn State over law school plan

The Associated Press CARLISLE -- Penn State might have used heavy-handed tactics in getting its law school's governing board into accepting a second campus, but it didn't do anything illegal, a judge ruled today.

CARLISLE -- Penn State might have used heavy-handed tactics in getting its law school's governing board into accepting a second campus, but it didn't do anything illegal, a judge ruled today.

Cumberland County Judge Edward E. Guido dismissed the case against Penn State brought by three Dickinson Law School board members trying to stop Penn State from building a second law school at its University Park campus.

However, the judge did not dismiss the three board members' suit against the board and its chairman, H. Laddie Montague. A hearing on that lawsuit will continue.

The plaintiffs -- Leslie Anne Miller, Gov. Ed Rendell's former general counsel; her father, attorney G. Thomas Miller; and emeritus board member Tom Monteverde -- were among those who dissented when Dickinson's board voted 17-14 to accept Penn State's proposal on Jan. 15.

The trio sued, arguing that the proposal would allow Penn State to eventually close the original campus.

Penn State and The Dickinson Law School merged beginning in 1997, and the lawsuit alleged the two-campus plan would "unilaterally terminate" an agreement that required Penn State to keep the law school permanently in Carlisle. The merger was completed in 2000.

"We're obviously pleased that the judge ruled in our favor," said Rodney Erickson, Penn State's executive vice president and provost. "We have a plan that ... makes an unprecedented investment in The Dickinson School of Law. Our goal is to move Dickinson into the top tier."

John Stoviak, the plaintiffs' attorney, did not immediately return a phone call by The Associated Press left at his office after business hours today.

Approved in January, the two-campus plan called for Penn State to keep the Carlisle campus open for at least 10 years while it develops the State College campus. More recently, Rendell negotiated an agreement with Penn State that would increase the university's commitment to Carlisle to at least 20 years in exchange for up to $25 million in state funding for renovating and expanding the Carlisle campus.

A compromise: $25 mil for 20 years

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) May 11, 2005

Dickinson's Carlisle campus gets funds State's $25 million will go toward renovations

Gov. Ed Rendell announced Tuesday that he has released $25 million to help pay for renovations to the Penn State Dickinson School of Law's Carlisle campus.

That money will provide matching funds for the $10 million Penn State plans to spend on improvements to the Carlisle campus and another $10 million the university is raising. The state money will be administered through the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority and is contingent on the university keeping the Carlisle campus open for at least 20 years.

Penn State and the law school's board of governors reached an agreement earlier this year that allows the university to open a second law-school campus at University Park. In that agreement, Penn State promised to keep the Carlisle campus open for at least 10 years.

Although Penn State administrators said they had no intention of closing the campus, the clause stoked fears of some members of the board of governors and Carlisle residents that the campus would eventually be closed.

According to a news release issued by Gov. Ed Rendell's office Tuesday, Penn State agreed to operate the full law school program in Carlisle for at least 15 years. After that, Penn State agreed to keep it open for at least another five years, unless one of the following happens: the law school's accreditation can't be saved unless one or both campuses are closed; the university can't recruit enough suitable students for both campuses; or a change in legal education from the current three-year structure takes place.

In those cases, "a change in the structure of (the) law degree program in Carlisle could occur" in the last five years of the agreement.

"This agreement represents a tremendous compromise that will ensure the Carlisle campus of Dickinson Law School remains a viable facility, while protecting our fiduciary responsibilities to the commonwealth and Penn State," Rendell said.

"This agreement demonstrates our collective long-term commitment to legal education in Carlisle," Penn State President Graham Spanier said in a written statement.

Under the agreement, Penn State would have to return the state money to the redevelopment authority if the university did close the Carlisle campus. In that event, the Dickinson Law School Association could take over the campus building and run an independent law school or find a new affiliation.

If the association chose not to operate the law school, Penn State could sell the building and place the proceeds of the sale in the law school's endowment.

Three members of the board of governors filed a suit in Cumberland County Court challenging the agreement reached between the university and the board of governors. The case is scheduled to begin May 18.