Officials from Lancaster County and Harrisburg Area Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Lancaster Campus of HACC off Old Philadelphia Pike (RT 340) in East Lampeter Township on Friday, April 14, at 12:30pm. Representatives taking part in the ceremony were Representative Jere W. Schuler, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Lancaster County; Dr. Edna V. Baehre, president of HACC; Dr. Michael B. Klunk, dean of the Lancaster Campus; Daniel P. Delaney, Esq., member, HACC Board of Trustees; and Timothy Sandoe, chair, Lancaster Campus Advisory Committee.

"We are excited to be part of Lancaster County's dynamic growth and development," says Dr. Edna V. Baehre, HACC president. "We look forward to working hand-in-hand to explore how the Lancaster Campus can best respond to the education and training needs as defined by the Lancaster community."

"With the support and partnerships that have developed over the last 11 years, we are breaking ground for a campus that is not only larger, but also centrally located to serve all of Lancaster County," says Dr. Mike Klunk, dean of the Lancaster Campus. "It is a significant undertaking that will benefit Lancaster County residents, business and industry, and community-based organizations for many years to come."

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, 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 HACC's 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.