The final plans for a fitness center at the Hershey Medical Center were approved Friday and two architects were selected to design a new children's hospital and parking garage there.

The estimated budget for the fitness center expansion is $8.4 million, while the budget for the garage is $24 million. Officials are also planning for a cost increase of 10 percent for both projects.

Penn State spokesman Geoff Rushton said the 10 percent on top of the overall cost was included in anticipation of higher construction costs.

"We know what has occurred and what is expected to occur," Rushton said. "From fuel to the cost of steel, that's something that has to be planned for."

According to a report given at Friday's Penn State Board of Trustees meeting by Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Shultz, the parking garage will accommodate 1,305 new spaces and 24 surface spaces. The garage may include 700 additional spaces in the future and will accommodate the planned cancer center near the Children's Hospital.

Rushton said the fitness center would include an audio/visual room, a conference center, new fitness facilities and workout and aerobic machine space. A new parking lot will also serve the facility.

Rushton said it was not known when construction would be completed.

"The campus master plan has advanced over the last few years," he said. "But it would be difficult to pinpoint exactly how long all that would take."

In his report to the board, Director of Campus Planning and Design Gordon Turow said the overall campus design was based on two quadrangles surrounding the main hospital. The west quadrangle is for research while the east quadrangle is clinical.

Turow also said a new road would be constructed soon to connect the eastern section of campus to the main section.

Payette Associates of Boston and Array Healthcare Facilities Solutions, based in King of Prussia, will design the Children's Hospital and parking garage addition. They were appointed in 2004 to design the cancer institute, oncology treatment building and parking garage.

Schultz said the architects were chosen because of their work with previous additions at Hershey and their knowledge of facilities there.