HERSHEY — Construction will begin later this spring on an addition to Penn State's Eisenhower Chapel featuring a two-story worship space for up to 800 people.

The Penn State Board of Trustees accepted final plans for the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center and got a glimpse of the structure's appearance by day and by night at its meeting Friday in the Hershey Medical Center.

Planners say they hope to create a building that will embrace a wider range of faiths than the current main chapel. Some say the current steeple and design reflects American Protestant architecture.

The design also aims to maintain the small clusters of woodland around the chapel by building westward over the Allen Road parking lot.

The majority of funding for the $9 million project was provided by the late Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla of Johnstown. Other major donors to the project include Bill and Joan Schreyer, and Joe and Sue Paterno. Each couple donated $1 million.

— by Jeremy R. Cooke