BUTLER TWP — The construction hammers are swinging at several campuses of the Butler County Community College this summer.

At the main campus, TroyJay will begin renovations next week to convert the former bookstore into an area for the Children's Creative Learning Center.

President Nick Neupauer said the project is designed so that when the building is no longer needed as a school it easily can be reverted to offices.

The state Department of Education waived the requirements for bids on the project so it could be expedited and ready to take students in the fall. The project is estimated at $120,000.

The college needed an emergency home for the school because this spring a tree fell on the roof of the school's former home, Armstrong Lodge. The crash compromised the structure and the college is expected, to demolish that building. It has collected quotes from firms that would do the work.

Before the final decision on the lodge's fate is made, however, the college will work with architects and the insurance company to see if there are other options.

"It is a process," said vice president for finance Jim Hrabosky. He said it could be expected to take several months.

The incident led the college to contract with an arborist who will determine if trees need to be cut down.

A $2.9 million expansion project at LindenPointe in Hermitage is on track, said Neupauer. That work, which doubles classroom space in Mercer County, broke ground in April.

And, at the Cranberry Township campus, crews replaced cracked sidewalks and will paint before the conclusion of summer.