News Release
Upper Bucks Campus Expansion Rises to New Heights
The highest point of the two-story, 28,000-square-foot addition was marked with a ‘topping off’ ceremony attended by dozens of dignitaries, faculty, and staff
Bucks County Community College celebrated reaching the highest point of the expansion of its Upper Bucks Campus with a “topping off” ceremony Tuesday, June 16.
Following construction-industry tradition, a steel beam was signed by college dignitaries, community donors, faculty and staff, then hoisted into place atop what will be a 28,000 square-foot expansion of the Perkasie campus. An evergreen tree was placed on the beam to symbolize that the project has proceeded without injury, and as a sign of prosperity for the buildings’ occupants.
Among those signing the beam were College President James J. Linksz (pictured, center), Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Graver (right), and BCCC Foundation Board President George Komelasky (left).
The expansion nearly doubles the existing 33,000-square-foot facility, which has seen enrollment surge from 150 students when Bucks opened the campus in 1999 to more than 1,000 students in 2009. The $15 million project, which includes renovations of the current building, will be a LEED-certified “green” building, meaning that it meets the highest standards for energy efficiency.
Features include a geothermal heating and cooling system and a vegetation-covered roof to reduce storm water runoff. The expanded campus will include indoor and outdoor commons areas, a library, five computer labs, faculty and staff offices, and several quiet study rooms. The college expects to open the new building next spring.
The project is supported in part by the Bucks County Community College Foundation, which invites individuals and businesses to join its fundraising campaign to sustain the expansion. For more information, contact Gail Acosta at 215-968-8416 or e-mail foundation@bucks.edu.
See more photos at the BCCC Foundation's online gallery.
An evergreen tree is placed atop the signed beam as a sign of prosperity. A photo of BCCC Foundation Director and UBC benefector Gene Fickes is affixed to the beam in his absence.
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Assistant Director, Public Relations 215-968-8094/8093 |
