U.S. General Services Administration
Passport Office wins Grand Jury Award from Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
Region 3 PBS relocated the U.S. Department of State Passport Office from the first floor of the U.S. Custom House at 200 Chestnut Street to the first floor of the Robert N.C. Nix, Sr., Federal Building and U.S. Post Office at 900 Market Street in Philadelphia in the fall of 2022. This project recently won a Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia at a ceremony on June 6.
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia was established in 1996 to be the principal historic preservation advocacy organization for the Philadelphia region. The Preservation Alliance is a membership-based, not-for-profit advocacy organization that shines a spotlight on the places that make the Philadelphia region special and gives a voice and a toolbox to those who care deeply about protecting them for the future. Through educational outreach, planning efforts, and direct advocacy, the Preservation Alliance is the region’s principal public champion of our historic built environment.
Anthony Naccarato, president, O’Donnell & Naccarato Structural Engineers and Board Member, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, stated in a video, “The team sensitively preserved the historic elements and created an efficient, attractive and professional public space in the heart of Philadelphia.”
For this renovation project, only minor changes were made to the historical lobby to maintain the integrity of the Nix building’s original design while meeting the needs of the Passport Agency. GSA repaired several historic Post Office elements original to the Art Deco style building, including the marble countertop, transaction windows, lighted signage and terrazzo flooring. The original clamshell revolving door enclosures were refurbished and two new ramps for handicapped access were added. The wood flooring was also refurbished.
A new large training room was constructed to support nationwide training for the Passport Agency. Renovations also included employee restrooms, a privacy suite for nursing mothers, a quiet lunch room and a large break room. Three new air handling units were installed as well as an interior lift for accessibility to the mezzanine.
GSA is happy to maintain stewardship of our nation’s historic resources by renovating the Nix building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. By moving the Philadelphia Passport Office to this newly renovated space, GSA helped our client agency meet their mission critical operational needs while GSA makes the best use of the space in our facility portfolio.
This article is part of the Summer issue of the FOCUS newsletter. Please visit the Focus Newsletter page to read our newsletter.