Franklin & Marshall College is the recent recipient of four Pennsylvania grants totaling nearly $3 million to support construction and infrastructure projects on and adjacent to campus. The funds match philanthropic support for the Mehlman Center for Strength, Conditioning, Wellness, and Performance and will support its construction while also redesigning parts of Harrisburg Avenue to prioritize pedestrian and vehicle safety.

“For nearly 240 years, F&M and the Lancaster community have grown and prospered side-by-side. I’m grateful to leaders in the Commonwealth for their support and investment. The Mehlman Center brings value to both the campus and our community,” said President Andrew Rich. “As we prepare to break ground on this transformative project, we will also preserve the safety of our campus community, our visitors, and all Lancaster residents.”

Franklin & Marshall is the recipient of four state grants totaling $2.8 million that will assist Mehlman Center construction efforts
and improve safety along Harrisburg Aveneue (right), which crosses F&M's campus.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded F&M two $1 million grants to F&M as part of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), which supports economic, cultural, civic, and historical improvement projects. To qualify, organizations must secure at least 50% of project funding from a non-state source, which F&M accomplished thanks to the generosity of Trustee Vice Chair Ken Mehlman ’88. In 2025, Mehlman made the College’s largest gift to athletics and wellness to establish the Mehlman Center for Strength, Conditioning, Wellness, and Performance.

The grants indicate alignment between Franklin & Marshall, its place in Lancaster, and the criteria considered for successful RACP applications, including regional impact, increasing or maintaining job opportunities, tax revenue contributions, and other measures of economic benefit to nearby communities. 

Liberal arts colleges like F&M make a difference for communities throughout the state; according to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania, in 2025 alone private colleges contributed $29 billion in annual economic impact, added more than $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue, and employed nearly 200,000 people.

In addition to the RACP grants, F&M received a total of $800,000 from Multimodal Transportation Fund grants to improve the portion of Harrisburg Avenue between Race and College avenues, directly across from the future Mehlman Center and adjacent to the Samuel N. and Dena M. Lombardo Welcome Center. The area adjoins one of the most heavily traveled locations around campus, with thousands of vehicles and pedestrians utilizing the space each day. 

As part of the Mehlman Center construction, individuals navigating campus and Harrisburg Avenue will benefit from new safety features, including the redesign of pedestrian crossing locations and the reorganization of an existing green space used as a staging area for campus visitors, located on the north side of Harrisburg Avenue and across from Roschel College House.