Upper Bucks to expand campus
BY CHRIS GRAHAM
Issue date: 9/29/08 Section: Campus News
For students at the Upper
Bucks campus, the sound of construction
equipment has become
as much a part of everyday life as
classes and homework. The
Perkasie campus recently began
construction on a 28,000 square
foot addition to the campus.
Upper Bucks opened its doors
in 1999 in the former corporate
offices of the now defunct Bucks
County Bank on Hillendale
Drive in Perkasie. The building
in its current configuration features
a small library, and a handful
of computer labs.
Adam Schwartz, 19, from
Quakertown, said, "At least now
it is going to look like a real college
campus. I think that the new
building will get more students
to stay close to home with the
additional classes."
According to Dr. Rodney
Altemose, executive director of
the campus, "It will be amazing!
It will [allow] Bucks to diversify
its offerings to Upper Bucks students."
With the construction taking
place in the area of the former
student parking area, some
issues have developed.
When asked about the parking
situation, Altemose sighed, "
...students have been pretty
good...I think we all recognized
that there are some growing
pains."
Jen Fischer, 19, from East
Rockhill, said "There is enough
parking across the street or in
front of the Giant, so it really
doesn't bother me."
In its current configuration,
Upper Bucks features 15 lecture
and seminar classrooms, a drawing/
painting studio, an interactive
video confrencing facility,
two computer labs, a business
and community meeting room,
student meeting and activity
areas, exhibit area, faculty and
advising offices and a state-ofthe-
art electronic library.
The $13 million project is a
design by the Schrader Group,
and ER Stubner is handling the
general contractor duties.
The project is slated for completion
in January 2010, and
according to Altemose, "We are
ahead of schedule… so far so
good with [the] budget."
Currently, only land-grading
equipment is on site, with a formal
ground-breaking to be held
in the coming weeks. The plans
for construction depict a modern
structure with a large atrium
leading into cafe and library
areas.
The drawings also show the
addition as a separate structure,
with a large green area in
between the two buildings.
Some students acknowledged
that they will be transferred
before the building opens.
Mark Green, an 18-year-old
from Perkasie, said "I know that
I won't be a student here when
they open the doors, but it will
benefit the college
Bucks campus, the sound of construction
equipment has become
as much a part of everyday life as
classes and homework. The
Perkasie campus recently began
construction on a 28,000 square
foot addition to the campus.
Upper Bucks opened its doors
in 1999 in the former corporate
offices of the now defunct Bucks
County Bank on Hillendale
Drive in Perkasie. The building
in its current configuration features
a small library, and a handful
of computer labs.
Adam Schwartz, 19, from
Quakertown, said, "At least now
it is going to look like a real college
campus. I think that the new
building will get more students
to stay close to home with the
additional classes."
According to Dr. Rodney
Altemose, executive director of
the campus, "It will be amazing!
It will [allow] Bucks to diversify
its offerings to Upper Bucks students."
With the construction taking
place in the area of the former
student parking area, some
issues have developed.
When asked about the parking
situation, Altemose sighed, "
...students have been pretty
good...I think we all recognized
that there are some growing
pains."
Jen Fischer, 19, from East
Rockhill, said "There is enough
parking across the street or in
front of the Giant, so it really
doesn't bother me."
In its current configuration,
Upper Bucks features 15 lecture
and seminar classrooms, a drawing/
painting studio, an interactive
video confrencing facility,
two computer labs, a business
and community meeting room,
student meeting and activity
areas, exhibit area, faculty and
advising offices and a state-ofthe-
art electronic library.
The $13 million project is a
design by the Schrader Group,
and ER Stubner is handling the
general contractor duties.
The project is slated for completion
in January 2010, and
according to Altemose, "We are
ahead of schedule… so far so
good with [the] budget."
Currently, only land-grading
equipment is on site, with a formal
ground-breaking to be held
in the coming weeks. The plans
for construction depict a modern
structure with a large atrium
leading into cafe and library
areas.
The drawings also show the
addition as a separate structure,
with a large green area in
between the two buildings.
Some students acknowledged
that they will be transferred
before the building opens.
Mark Green, an 18-year-old
from Perkasie, said "I know that
I won't be a student here when
they open the doors, but it will
benefit the college
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