Pa. medical research site opens

SCRANTON - The Commonwealth Medical College has a new home in downtown Scranton.

The college dedicated its $115 million Medical Sciences Building on Pine Street Saturday.

"This building is wonderful. It represents so much . . .," interim president and dean Lois Nora said at the dedication ceremony. "It screams out proudly that TCMC is here and is pointing towards the future."

The 183,000-square-foot building is divided into two wings, one housing classroom space and the other housing laboratories.

It features a 250-seat auditorium and two 160-seat lecture halls, 24 small-group teaching rooms, 35 medical research laboratories and a clinical skills and simulation center.

Former State Sen. Robert Mellow, who helped obtain a $35 million state grant to start construction, said that in addition to bettering the health of residents, the medical school would contribute to the economic revitalization of the community.