New office building to house HUP offices

An office building under construction at 39th and Chestnut streets will become the new home to many of the administrative offices at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania next month. The building is the first hospital-owned facility not located on the Medical Center campus, according to Eugene Moenck, associate deputy executive director for facilities at HUP. The new building will house the financial offices now located in Blockley Hall and the Human Resources and Program and Operations Analysis departments. "We've got other facilities that we rent, but this will be the first building that we have owned that we've relocated people out of the hospital to," Moenck said. The decision to move these offices came after the Medical School requested space in Blockley Hall for faculty offices and research facilities, he said. To give that office space in Blockley Hall to the Medical School, HUP purchased the building from the National Board of Medical Examiners in 1993 for $3.4 million. The fast-track construction of the building, which began in June, involves remodeling the interior and adding two floors to the top of the four-story building. The Medical Center hired the Hillier Group to complete their renovations. The same firm designed the Wharton Aresty Institute building and the Camden Aquarium. Hillier spokesperson Rosemarie Fabien said the interior renovations will be cost-effective and efficient in design, integrating contemporary colors and furniture. "The renovation and addition are designed to be architecturally-sensitive to the original 1966 building," Fabien said. "We're designing an addition that is complimentary to the existing structure." According to designer Brett Webber, a metal panel addition will enlarge the building by 20,000 square feet. "The task on our part was to try to make the building engage the street more," Webber said. "There's an elevator tower that is a prominent feature of the Chestnut Street side. That's extended up with the rest of the building." The Hillier Group also designed the landscape surrounding the building, meeting the access requirements of the recent Americans with Disabilities Act, Fabien said. The plan includes the construction of new stairs and a ramp for the handicapped along the Chestnut Street side of the building. "What HUP will be getting is a state-of-the-art office building that is up to code," Fabien said. The entire project, including acquisition of the building, will cost $12.5 million, according to Weber. He said the building's renovations will be completed in December. But, the Hospital will be able to use the basement and the first four floors as early as October 20. "We're right on schedule," Moenck said.