WEST CHESTER, PA — Westtown School has begun construction of a $29 million dining and community center in Westtown Township, advancing the largest capital campaign in its history after completing $10.9 million in athletic improvements and a solar array supplying about 90% of campus electricity.
The dining facility will add 21,800 square feet near the school’s historic Main Building and provide seating for 460 people, an all-electric kitchen and space for meetings, events and community gatherings.
The project is part of “Lighting the Way,” a $62 million campaign launched in October 2024 to finance campus facilities, increase Westtown’s endowment, support financial aid and fund faculty development.
The freestanding facility is planned for the north side of the Main Building, across the central circle. It is intended to accommodate the entire Upper School during the same meal period while expanding the school’s capacity to address students’ dietary needs.
The building also represents a shift in campus energy use. Its planned all-electric kitchen will avoid direct reliance on fossil-fuel cooking equipment as Westtown increases its use of electricity generated on site.
The school recently completed the Oak Lane Athletic Complex, a $10.9 million project featuring two synthetic-turf fields, two natural-grass fields, baseball and softball facilities, spectator seating, a clubhouse, scoreboards, and parking compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. One turf field has stadium lighting.
Westtown also completed a 2.1-megawatt solar array on eight acres of an existing farm field. The system generates more than 3 million kilowatt-hours annually and supplies approximately 90% to 91% of the school’s electricity, according to the Chester County Planning Commission.
The installation uses bifacial panels mounted on a tracking system that follows the sun throughout the day. Westtown buys the electricity under a power-purchase agreement, while Clean Energy Ventures owns and maintains the equipment.
The solar development was the first large-scale installation approved under a Westtown Township ordinance limiting solar fields to 10 acres. Its review included a conditional-use process addressing glare, screening, and stormwater management.
BioStar Renewables developed the array in partnership with Evolution Energy and engineering firm Bohler. In announcing the project, BioStar estimated that it would offset about 1,834 metric tons of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions annually.
Together, the dining and athletics projects account for at least $39.9 million in identified construction spending, excluding the separately financed solar installation.
The dining center remains under construction, while the athletic complex and solar array are operational. Westtown has not provided a construction-completion date for the dining facility in the information supplied.
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