Centre Region Celebrates Opening of Whitehall Road Regional Park

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — Local leaders and community members celebrated the opening of the long-awaited and recently completed first phase of Whitehall Road Regional Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community event on Wednesday afternoon.

The 50-acre first phase of the 100-acre park, located at 1954 Blue Course Drive Extension in Ferguson Township, represents a $6.4 million investment in recreation and community space. 

Features include a 15,000-square-foot “We Play Together” all-abilities playground designed for inclusive play, the Mascolo Garden, two tournament-sized multipurpose fields with LED lighting, two medium-sized grass fields, 2 miles of walking trails with a connection to the Musser Gap Greenway, pollinator gardens, a Story Walk curated with Schlow Library, ADA-compliant restrooms and parking, and a new CRPR maintenance facility.

A shaded pavilion and concession area are scheduled to be constructed in 2025–26 with secured grant, donation and municipal funding.

Discussions for the park date back to 2002, and in 2008 Penn State and local governments created a subdivision plan for a portion of a larger property off of Whitehall Road acquired by the university from the Mellon Family Trust a decade earlier. 

By 2011, 100 acres were sold to Ferguson Township and the Centre Region Council of Governments for development of the regional park. Progress on the park slowed over the years due to litigation over a nearby housing development, construction delays, supply chain disruptions and stormwater management issues that have since been resolved.

Funding ultimately came from a regional parks loan supported by the five COG municipalities that participate in Centre Region Parks and Recreation — State College Borough and College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton townships as well as grants, private donations and business contributions.