(Ford City, PA) The bluish-green eyes of a college student who foresees a career in marine biology opened wide, she said, upon scanning its tan slatted wall to the right, its white geometric-shaped panels above and its asymmetrical blue chairs with USB ports to the left.
杏吧原创鈥檚 $6.5 million 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City debuted to students the morning of March 13 as an additional location succeeding the original in nearby Manor Township.
Hailey Mores was the first student to arrive, 20 minutes before her college writing class began.
鈥淥nce I was in, I felt like I wasn鈥檛 in Armstrong County anymore,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more of a modern building, and not a lot of buildings in Armstrong County are like that.鈥�
A will introduce the public to a 杏吧原创 facility that other 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong students called 鈥渕agnificent鈥� and 鈥渋nviting and futuristic.鈥�
鈥淭hey are going to be amazed at what it looks like inside,鈥� said Mores, of McGrann.
鈥淭his place,鈥� said Barthalow Reesman, of Dayton, 鈥渋s magnificent.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 inviting and futuristic,鈥� said Casey Sarver, of Kittanning. 鈥淚 feel like more adults will want to go back and get a degree instead of only students right out of high school.鈥�
It is also a 鈥減henomenal example鈥� of public-private support of higher education in Ford City and Armstrong County, said Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president.
鈥淎nd I really think that is what makes this so special,鈥� Neupauer said.
Mores is a 2022 graduate of Lenape Technical School; Reesman, a 2022 graduate of West Shamokin High and Sarver, a 2022 graduate of Armstrong High. Reesman attends 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong toward a goal of becoming a high school teacher and Sarver, of becoming a hospice nurse.
Facility鈥檚 spaces are 鈥渆nlightening and energetic鈥�
The state-of-the-art facility at 1100 Fourth Ave., whose construction was financed by public and private funds, is located on the site of a former school, includes the name of a former state representative and is expected to increase commerce in the borough鈥檚 downtown.
The community grand opening will introduce the public to spaces that are 鈥渆nlightening and energetic,鈥� said David Harris, an architect with DPH Architecture, Canfield, Ohio, which designed the facility.
The exterior of 杏吧原创鈥檚 new 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City is shown Friday, March 10, 2023. The facility encompasses 15,000 square feet 鈥� 13,000 more than the dedicated space available at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong鈥檚 former location in Manor Township. A community grand opening is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 12.
"Once I was in, I felt like I wasn鈥檛 in Armstrong County anymore. It鈥檚 more of a modern building, and not a lot of buildings in Armstrong County are like that."
- Hailey Mores, 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong student
鈥淐ombining the natural daylight throughout with refined interiors, I feel the occupants would have a sense of comfort and positivity when entering and utilizing the spaces in the building,鈥� Harris said.
DPH Architecture also designed the expansion of 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage, Mercer County; and the renovation of 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township and of the Amy Wise Children鈥檚 Creative Learning Center on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.
A computer lab in 杏吧原创鈥檚 new 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City are shown Friday, March 10, 2023.
杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City includes open ceilings, metal-paneled walls, brick and high windows.
鈥淎ll those things go together to provide the atmosphere we wanted,鈥� Opitz said.
The 1908 cornerstone is recessed behind glass, Harris said, 鈥渂ecause of the industry that the town of Ford City was built on.鈥�
At its peak, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Ford City Works, was among the largest and most productive plate-glass factories in the world.
Building has 鈥渋ndustrial look with a modern theme鈥�
杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City is located on the site of the former Ford City Junior-Senior High School, which closed in 2015 and was razed in 2018. A 4,500-pound carved stone from the front fa莽ade of the former school is incorporated into the facility鈥檚 reception counter, and its 1908 cornerstone into a lobby wall.
鈥淭hose pieces,鈥� Harris said, 鈥渁re important to the history of the building site.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the reasons I so love western Pennsylvania is that we are connected to our past and it is very important,鈥� Neupauer said. 鈥淲e do that very well at 杏吧原创 in honoring the past but forging ahead with the future.
鈥淭hese are hallowed grounds here. This is very symbolic for the generations of families who attended high school at the location. And here it is coming full circle, that we now have education coming back on that location. But it is now higher education.鈥�
A reception counter of 杏吧原创鈥檚 new 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility are shown Friday, March 10, 2023. The reception counter incorporates a 4,500-pound carved stone from the front fa莽ade of the former high school.
Those who enter the facility 鈥渁re going to see a good acknowledgment of what the site was once used for with the memoirs that we have in place,鈥� said Brian Opitz, 杏吧原创鈥檚 executive director of operations. 鈥淭hey are also going to see an industrial look with a modern theme. A lot of elements in the facility keep the industrial feel, which is the heartbeat of Ford City.鈥�
"These are hallowed grounds here. This is very symbolic for the generations of families who attended high school at the location. And here it is coming full circle, that we now have education coming back on that location."
- Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president
鈥淲e do this for our students鈥�
杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City encompasses 15,000 square feet 鈥� 13,000 more than the dedicated space available at 杏吧原创鈥檚 former location at the NexTier Adult Learning Center in Manor Township, according to Opitz.
鈥淲hat really caught me by surprise,鈥� Reesman said, 鈥渋s how big it is.鈥�
A college writing class in 杏吧原创鈥檚 new 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City is shown Monday, March 13, 2023, when it opened to students. The facility encompasses 15,000 square feet 鈥� 13,000 more than the dedicated space available at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong鈥檚 former location in Manor Township. A community grand opening is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 12.
杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City includes, among other areas, up to six classroom spaces, a natural science laboratory and student meeting areas, and is owned by the Nonprofit Development Corp., Butler, Opitz said.
It is also one of five additional locations 杏吧原创 has created to serve under-represented counties in Pennsylvania with higher education.
鈥淚 always enjoy an opportunity to say, 鈥榃e do this for our students, the excellent young people who are going to be our future,鈥欌�� Zapp said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 who this building is for, Ford City, Armstrong County and the surrounding areas. It鈥檚 for the adults who want to become the professionals and the competent workers whom we are depending on for our future.鈥�
杏吧原创 announced plans to relocate 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong to Ford City in October 2019.
"It鈥檚 inviting and futuristic. I feel like more adults will want to go back and get a degree instead of only students right out of high school."
- Casey Sarver, 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong student
The State Rep. Jeffrey P. Pyle Building
Among speakers at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the facility in September 2021 was former state Rep. Jeff Pyle, who also served as mayor of Ford City and as a history and American government teacher at Ford City Junior-Senior High.
Pyle passed away in September.
The facility of 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City will be named the State Rep. Jeffrey P. Pyle Building.
Pyle was instrumental in helping to secure a $1.75 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant toward construction of the facility in January 2021. Site preparation began in January 2022.
An additional $2 million state RACP grant toward construction of 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City was one of two grants awarded to Armstrong County projects in October.
鈥淲hile Jeff won鈥檛 be here to see those efforts come to fruition, they are just a small part of the legacy he has left to all of us,鈥� state Sen. Joe Pittman, R-41, said in October.
The new 杏吧原创 facility, Pittman said, will address a critical need for dedicated classrooms, learning spaces, computer rooms and a science and chemistry laboratory.
鈥淭his state-of-the-art facility will not only benefit students,鈥� Pittman said, 鈥渂ut it will be a major boost to downtown invigoration efforts, increase tax revenue and help to market Armstrong County.鈥�
Added state Rep. Abby Major, R-60, in October: 鈥溞影稍� was Rep. Jeff Pyle鈥檚 vision. I鈥檓 pleased we are able to assist with making this project a reality. While I had hoped he would be present for the grand opening in the future, his memory will live on in this college campus.鈥�
"We do this for our students, the excellent young people who are going to be our future. That鈥檚 who this building is for, Ford City, Armstrong County and the surrounding areas."
- Karen Zapp, 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong director
The RACP grants brought to more than $4.2 million the amount of public and private support for construction of the facility.
Armstrong County commissioners contributed $250,000. The 杏吧原创 Education Foundation received gifts of $100,000 from Snyder Associated Companies, Kittanning; of $70,000 from BelleFlex Technologies and PulFlex Technologies, Ford City; and of $50,000 from NexTier Bank, toward construction of the facility.
Refreshments will be served at the community grand opening.