On November 1,
Seton Hill University (SHU) broke ground on its new 73,000 square-foot University Center for the Performing Arts. The $21 million project is the first in the university’s 117-year history to be built outside its 200-acre Greensburg campus.
“This isn’t just a Seton Hill project; it’s a Greensburg project. We envision Greensburg’s future as a vital place full of magnetic energy and excitement,” says SHU president JoAnn Boyle.
The project completes the city’s Cultural District, along with the
Westmoreland Museum of American Art, the historic
Palace Theatre, restored train station, and new restaurants and bookstores.
A collaboration between the
City of Greensburg,
the Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County, the
Greensburg Salem School District, local legislators, and the
Westmoreland Cultural Trust, the facility will feature a flexible theatre, music hall, costume design rooms, classrooms, and faculty offices.
“Westmoreland County is a fascinating place--a laboratory for what we want to accomplish across the state,” says Larry Segal with the Governor’s
Office of Housing and Community Revitalization. “Small urban areas are coming back; what makes this project great is the breadth of its collaboration.”
Among other honors, SHU was recognized by
Entrepreneur magazine as one of the nation’s Top 100 Entrepreneurial Universities.
Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Molly Robb Shimko, director of media relations, SHU
Image courtesy of Seton Hill University and MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni Architects, Inc.