First phase of Bucknell West Campus Apartments completed

Sep. 6—LEWISBURG — Two of the four new residence halls are complete on the West Campus of Bucknell University as part of a $55 million investment into campus living.

The West Campus Apartment Complex is located near the Depew baseball field and Emmitt soccer field on the west side of Route 15. With the first phase complete, the second phase will kick off this fall with the construction of two more apartment-style residence halls with enhanced outdoor recreation amenities such as outdoor ping pong tables, a fire pit and barbecue grills, an amphitheater and more.

"Compared to where we were to where we are now, it's leaps and bounds," said Stephen Apanel, director of housing services.

Between 1972 and 1984, Bucknell placed 35 residential student housing units known as the "Mods." They were intended to be temporary, but have stood on the West Campus for five decades.

In December 2022, Bucknell removed 14 mods and contractor Wohlsen Construction Company, of Harrisburg, constructed the first two residential halls in its place, having finished the work in August. Sixteen more Mods will be removed in December with the project expected to be finished by August 2024. The remaining five Mods will stay and be used for student housing.

"Students like the independence and it's really quiet here," said Apanel.

These halls display the red brick iconic to Bucknell's historic architecture. Inside, up-to-date appliances and stylish furnishings usher this side of campus into the 21st century. Each building has room for 68 students, a lounge area, first-floor laundry area, shelves for food deliveries from services like Grubhub and Door Dash and plenty of windows for natural light.

The 34 student units — four of which are wheelchair accessible — include four single bedrooms, a spacious shower and separate bathroom vanities with ample storage. Taking cues from student feedback, the kitchen — featuring "Bucknell blue" tile — houses a large, multifunctional island. The complex is also designed to direct students to use the pedestrian tunnel under Route 15.

"It's designed to focus on student experience," said Jeff Loss, the assistant vice president of facilities.

Student opinion

Bucknell junior Max Crockett, 20, of Maryland, lived in Smith Hall in his freshman year and in the Mods last year. He lives in the new complex this year.

"This is the best place by far," he said. "It's brand new and really nice. It's bigger than I thought it would be. It's really sad the Mods are gone, but this is really nice."

Crockett, who is studying psychology, said he is looking forward to the outdoor space once it's completed next year.

A geothermal heating and cooling system consisting of 99 wells 400 feet deep eliminates the combustion of fossil fuels on-site, dramatically lowers the need to generate power, and significantly reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses. It's a first for the campus and fits into the university's mission of sustainability, said Loss.

"We anticipate all four buildings will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified when completed," he said.

Other construction

Work on the Michael C. Pascucci '58 Team Center building also started in April and is anticipated to be finished in March 2024 at the north end of the Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium. The 1,600-square-foot athletics building will house men's lacrosse locker rooms, weight lifting, team rooms and training areas, said Loss.

The construction was made possible through a $40 million pledge to Bucknell from Michael Pascucci, the largest one-time commitment in the university's history. Of this pledge, $30 million will support unrestricted, need-based financial aid endowment through the Pascucci Family Scholarship, providing a transformative boost for the university's No. 1 fundraising priority. Over $10 million more will enable improvements in and around Christy Mathewson — Memorial Stadium.

The donation has already paid for new turf on the practice football field in 2022 and a new scoreboard in 2021. Poole Anderson Construction, of Harrisburg, is the general contractor for the team center building.