Aerial of Arboretum at Penn State.

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA—The Penn State University Board of Trustees has proposed the construction of a new freestanding art museum on the University Park campus that would be located in The Arboretum at Penn State.

The plan for the new museum building would encompass approximately 68,000 square feet to 73,000 square feet, with a total project budget of $71.1 million. The project would be funded by Penn State's five-year capital plan that runs through 2023. The cost of the new art museum could increase to as much as $85 million with philanthropic support. Final project plans and costs are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

The design phase of the project will commence immediately, with construction—pending board approval—expected to begin in late 2020 for a planned opening in the fall of 2022, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of an art museum at Penn State.