In Centre County, will for sale signs be going up on two of Penn State’s best known hospitality facilities at the University Park campus, as Gary Sinderson reports. The University says it is studying its options at the Nittany Lion Inn, and there’s been no hotel guests for a while now.
The historic inn is now being used for student housing. On the other end of campus, conference business has dropped off at the Penn Stater Conference Center due to the pandemic and the rise in zoom gatherings. Penn State, recently announcing a consultant group, has been hired to study operations at the Penn Stater or in the end
to specifically assess what’s termed, quote their strategic long term value and benefits to the university community, unquote. Penn State saying the pandemic impact, spurring a continuing look at optimizing resources and cost saving options and of course, the University.
Both facilities have a sizable and costly maintenance backlog, but it stressed no decision on their fate has been made yet. Whether the university will keep and renovate the facilities or possibly divest and lease them are among the options.
It’s expected the consultants review will be presented to the University Board of Trustees by Mid 2022
