The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building has reopened after structural issues forced its closure in November.

State College Police & Fire responded to the incident on November 12 after people inside heard what they described as an explosion. The building was evacuated, and the university shut it down until further notice.

There was a 1 1/2 inch crack from the second floor to the roof, Alpha Fire Company told Onward State in November.

A Penn State spokesperson told the Centre Daily Times the building underwent “repair and remediation” work over the summer. The final re-occupancy permit was granted last month, and faculty have been moving back into the building since July 1.

“The repairs were performed by a contractor with specialized expertise in this type of corrective work, and the repair process was closely monitored by members of the engineering team, an independent third-party inspection firm, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry,” the spokesperson wrote.

The Susan Welch building cost over $128 million to construct and was open less than a year before the incident occurred. The facility will resume normal operations this approaching fall semester.

About the Author

Maggie Alderisio

Maggie is a junior from Albany, New York majoring in broadcast journalism and English. She enjoys skiing, music, sarcastic banter, and staying up until ungodly hours of the night. You can find her on Instagram @maggiealderisio, email her at mra5745@psu.edu, or bump into her eating a bagel in the Irvings basement.

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