A local community college will soon have more to offer to students.

Penn Highlands Community College will be expanding its current location Blair County location in the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona.

The new Blair Center will have a total square footage of 18,766 that encompasses both floors of the Logan Valley Mall. The original size of the Blair Center was just 4,343 square feet.

Construction is expected to begin the week of October 23, with a soft opening planned for March 2018. The plans for the Blair Center include five classrooms, one science lab, one computer lab, a student services area, and several comfortable areas for lounging or individual study.

Several other faculty and administrative offices and service-related areas also exist in the new facility design. Both an elevator and open staircase will be added to connect the current space with the second floor addition.