Penn Highlands Community College weighs relocation from Logan Valley Mall
College awarded $1.9 million for new lease
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EBENSBURG -- With its lease in the Logan Valley Mall set to expire in December 2027, Penn Highlands Community College is considering the possibility of relocating its Blair Center after being awarded $1.9 million from the state Department of Education, said Steve Nunez, the community college's president.
Nunez, the special guest for a "walk and talk" event Monday on the Ghost Town Trail with Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky, said it's his responsibility to "think about what the future may or may not bring" when it comes to the mall, which is owned by Namdar Realty Group, a privately held real estate investment firm that has been criticized by both tenants and public officials for the mall's visible disrepair, loss of tenants and uncertain future.
According to Nunez, Penn Highlands likes its current location in the mall and is optimistic about the community college's future in Blair County.
"If we can stay there, I think that's a real benefit," Nunez said about potentially signing another lease with the mall. "But if we can't, then I wanted to have access to money to help us with the move and with the lease agreement."
Last Wednesday, the Shapiro administration announced more than $25.4 million in grants to 14 community colleges across the commonwealth to support facility improvements and upgrades to improve campus life for learners.
In addition to the $1.9 million for a lease and new facility buildout, which Nunez confirmed was for the community college's Blair Center, Penn Highlands received $200,000 for its lease with the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center, after relocating its Center for Culinary Excellence there last month.
Nunez said Penn Highlands' lease for the culinary center is about $36,000. Rather than cutting a $200,000 check, the state will annually pay half of that amount as long as Penn Highlands maintains its lease with the Frank J. Pasquerilla Center, he said.
Likewise, if Penn Highlands decides to stay with the mall, the state won't release the awarded $1.9 million, Nunez said, stressing the college's board has not made a formal decision about leaving the mall yet.
"We don't know for sure whether that's what we're doing," Nunez said. "No decisions have been made, but that's what the money would be used for, and if we don't use it, then the state doesn't write us a check."
The culinary program was created in partnership with the Greater Johnstown School District as a way for high school students to take dual-
enrollment courses at Penn Highlands, which would lead into either a college certificate and allow students to jump right into the workforce or to continue their education with Penn Highlands and earn an associate of applied science degree, Nunez said.
After several years, the program was so successful that it simply outgrew its space along Main Street in downtown Johnstown, Nunez said, adding the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center location has a dedicated lecture room, an office for a faculty member and is easily twice the size of the previous space.
"It wasn't that we were dissatisfied with our previous location, it was just that it was smaller than we needed it to be," Nunez said.
As more community college students choose online learning options, Nunez said Penn Highlands is also evaluating the size of its Ebensburg Center, currently located in the College Plaza shopping center in Cambria Township.
Nunez said the lease there doesn't expire anytime soon.
"It's going to expire in over a year, so we're not planning on doing anything right now. But maybe in the future, we would move to a smaller location; we'll see," Nunez said.
Chernisky said Cambria County sponsors Penn Highlands Community College, meaning the college receives about $1.2 million of the county's revenue every year. As part of that deal, Cambria County residents receive a tuition and fee discount compared to students from other counties.
The Cambria County commissioners also appoint 12 of 17 members to the college's board of trustees, according to Penn Highlands' website.
Penn Highlands is a huge asset and economic driver for Cambria County, Chernisky said, noting 87% of the people who graduate from Penn Highlands stay within the region.
Even though it rained Monday, Chernisky and Nunez still walked the trail with some Penn Highlands students and an instructor to bring awareness to outdoor recreation.
In partnership with Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Chernisky is also hosting a birthday party for the Ghost Town Trail, which turns 32 years young at the end of September, he said.
As part of the celebration, Chernisky will give out free slices of birthday cake at the Ebensburg Trailhead pavilion for about an hour, beginning at 11:35 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. The pavilion is located near the Young Peoples Community Center, 300 Prave St., Ebensburg.
There will also be a bicycle helmet giveaway, along with bike safety brochures and coloring books while supplies last.
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.