BC3 expects to receive $1M gift
BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Community College next week is set to get a $1 million donation, the largest in college history.
Robert Heaton, a Butler Township developer, is giving the gift to help fund major renovations at the John A. Beck Jr. Library.
“This is a big gift for a university, let alone a community college,” said Susan Changnon, executive director of communications and marketing for BC3.
The $4.7-million project is half-funded by the state.
Changnon said the renovations are designed to make the library the “hub” of the campus and to make it a place where students work together.
“The new direction with libraries is to learning commons. They’re more group-oriented,” Changnon said.
The library’s windows will be replaced with larger ones, electrical outlets will be added to accommodate students’ needs with laptops and cell phones and more computers will be added.
Construction is expected to begin this year and end in 2016. Renaissance 3 Architects of Pittsburgh is doing the renovations.
The college officially will get the donation Tuesday at a ceremony.