PSU branch seeks $750,000 to finish project

SHARON, Pa. -- Penn State Shenango is looking for $750,000 to complete the financing on a $9.4 million campus renovation project.
The campus announced the kickoff of its fund drive last week.
The money will supplement the $7.5 million committed by the university and the $1.2 million raised by the Penn State Shenango Advisory Board for the $9.4 million renovation of Sharon Hall and Lecture Hall on Shenango Avenue.
The campus is turning to alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to raise the local share.
To help jump-start the campaign, a friend of the campus has made an anonymous pledge challenge of $100,000, offering to match, up to that amount, any pledges and gifts raised by the end of this year, said Steve Hessmann, director of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations.
Some of the building improvements, such as heating, air conditioning and electrical upgrades, won't be visible but are essential for the continued use of the structures, he said.
The work also includes a new admissions suite, a new student union, a new technology classroom, a ceramics lab and a community room.
The project is about one-third complete and has an August 2006 finish date.