CALIFORNIA, Pa. — Pennsylvania Western University, the public college that is made up of three regional campuses, has officially begun construction on a new science center building at PennWest California.
PennWest, part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, held a special groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
The California Science Center building, which will total 63,500 square feet upon its completion, currently slated for early 2027, will house academic programs in biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and environmental sciences. It will replace two of the campuses’ current buildings, Frich Hall, which was built in 1972, and New Science Hall, built in 1959. According to PennWest, both buildings will be demolished once the new one is complete, creating open lawn areas that students can use for recreation on campus.
The total cost of the project to replace the two buildings with a new one is $39 million, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services Capital Spending Plan Budget.
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