The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved the application submitted by Harrisburg Area Community College to build a new Lancaster Campus at the intersection of Pitney Road and Old Philadelphia Pike (RT 340) in East Lampeter Township. PDE approval allows the College to enter into a 20-year lease with the option to purchase the project in five years, and provides for a 50 percent capital funding match of the campus rental payments.

"We are very pleased that we have received the full support of the Department of Education to enhance the educational and training opportunities HACC offers the citizens of Lancaster," said HACC President Dr. Edna V. Baehre. "Our new campus will feature expanded academic programs, a beautiful campus environment, and a state-of-the-art, fully equipped facility which will provide our students with an outstanding learning environment."

Features of the new Lancaster Campus will include:

• More than 71,000 square feet of state-of-the-art instructional and student space.
• More than 500 free, secured parking spaces.
• Outside recreation area and walking trails.
• Six fully equipped computer classrooms and a student computer lab.
• Instructional labs to support Hospitality Food Service Management, and Culinary Arts, Travel/Tourism, and expanded Allied Health/Health Care programs.
• On-campus child care center open to students and the community.
• State-of-the-art library and learning center.
• Compressed video-training facility with links to HACC¹s campuses in Harrisburg and Lebanon.
• On-campus food service.
• An area designated for fitness instruction and campus and community events

The new Lancaster Campus will open in July 2001 in time for the start of the 2001 fall semester.

HACC continues to offer a full range of college credit and noncredit workforce development courses and continuing education programs at its current site on New Holland Avenue.