Gov. Mark Schweiker announced a $1.7 million grant to Westminster College to help with the creation of a Western Pennsylvania Cultural Arts Center.

The governor made the announcement as part of his 37-stop "Celebration of the New Pennsylvania Tour" which included stops in western Pennsylvania. He held a press conference Thursday afternoon in the lobby of Wesminster's Orr Auditorium, which will be renovated with some of the money from the grant.

The money comes from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital program, often called the stadium fund, which is used to help pay for expensive economic, cultural and civic projects.

In 1999, the General Assembly raised the state's borrowing limit by $650 million and the state sold bonds to investors. Of that amount, the fund provided $320 million for new sports stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Schweiker recently signed legislation raising the state's borrowing cap by another $250 million.

Westminster raised matching funds through private donations, bringing the total amount of its project to $3.4 million.

The money will be used to renovate the 1,700-seat Orr Auditorium and to expand cultural and civic programming to the area. The auditorium is used for the college's seven-show Celebrity Series that draws large crowds with nationally-known entertainers. Recent performers include the United States Marine band, Anne Murray, and the Georgia State Dance Company.

"The arts are the glue that hold the community together," Gene DeCaprio, director of the Celebrity Series, said at the press conference.

"This project is important because it will bring more people to the area," Schweiker said. "Any time you bring visitors into your area, you create jobs. Jobs mean paychecks for Pennsylvanians, and make better communities."

R. Thomas Williamson, president of Westminster College, said the money wraps up a four-year effort.

The college considered expanding its arts program when it started its campus improvement project, Williamson said.

Part of Westminster's project includes summer youth camps, and Williamson said the college wants to devise some program to offer the parents of the youth during the camp.