Ambition is no stranger to Point Park University, and its $210 million expansion is proof.

Only months after embarking on a study by the Urban Land Institute on how to better integrate the growing liberal arts school into Downtown, Point Park has launched a master plan that will not only transform the university but also enhance its impact on the Golden Triangle. Although the institution is already the second-largest property owner Downtown (after the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust), the announcement of its specific plans gives the city a clearer sense of its coming imprint on the neighborhood.

Point Park's plans will unfold in two phases. The first will install a new student center in a building on the Boulevard of the Allies being vacated by the YMCA, erect a new gym with a 1,000-seat arena on a parking lot next to the Y, convert two eight-story buildings into student housing and construct a park on a parking lot at Wood Street and the Boulevard of the Allies.

The second phase will move the Pittsburgh Playhouse from Oakland to Forbes Avenue between Wood and Smithfield streets. The complex, which will occupy two parking lots and buildings already under university control, will have three theaters, teaching areas and a residence hall.

By the time of the expansion's completion in 2015 or later, the university will have 700 more students than the 3,600 today, 450 more residents than the 750 now living in student housing and 100 additional faculty and staff. All of this is predicated on an aggressive fund-raising campaign of $103 million -- no small feat for a university with a $20.7 million endowment.

But Point Park doesn't shrink from a challenge; it recently accomplished $60 million in capital improvements, and Downtown is better for it.

University President Paul Hennigan, his administration and board deserve credit for not only invigorating one of the city's education assets but also injecting youth and energy into a crucial section of Downtown. By boldly pursuing its mission, Point Park University has also become a loyal partner for a stronger city.