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Frequently Asked Questions

• Will my day-to-day activities be disturbed or disrupted by the Modernization project?
  
• Will there be power or water outages?
  
• What about the noise?
  
• What about the dust and dirt?
  
• Will the building still be secure?
  
• I have heard the building has asbestos in it, what implication does that have?
  
• How will I know where to go in the event of an emergency?
  
• Will I still be able to access the C street entrance, E street entrance, or the garage ramps?
  
• Will my telephone and computer connections be interrupted?
  
• Is this Modernization attempting to be environmentally responsible?
  
• Where can I go for the latest and best information regarding the status of facilities?
  
• Who do I call when I need more information or assistance?
  
• When am I scheduled to move?
  

Will my day-to-day activities be disturbed or disrupted by the Modernization project?

You’re day-to-day activities should not be affected.  Increased barrier protection controls and new personal security measures greatly reduce disruption to your daily routine. Major disturbances should occur only when the office that you occupy is moved to make space available for the next phase of the project. Whenever possible, moves will be arranged so that occupants will only have to move twice (once into short-term swing space and once into "modernized" permanent space). However, given the complexity of the project, it is possible some people will have to move more than twice to interim swing spaces. Every effort will be made to keep those moves to a minimum. There will be six phases to this project and it is expected that each phase will be completed in 18 months. Planning for the next move should start at least six months before the move date.

Will there be power or water outages?

Yes, but hopefully, most of these disruptions will be scheduled in advance, during off hours, and you will be notified. If unanticipated disruptions occur, all efforts will be made to restore service as soon as possible. It would be a good practice to turn off as many connected electrical devices as possible at the close of each business day.

What about the noise?

As each wing is isolated, there should be minimal transmission of noise to the inhabited wings. Particularly noisy operations, such as demolition for the stairwells, will be scheduled for non-working hours. However, given the substantial construction within the building and the distances between wings, some noise will, of course, be audible. Every effort to minimize construction noise during normal working hours will be made.  The Safety and Health Plan submitted by the Contractor requires that continuous noisy operations be restricted to non-working hours and between the hours of 6 PM to 8 AM, Monday through Friday.

What about the dust and dirt?

The construction zone will be isolated from the balance of the building with temporary partitions designed to contain contaminants. The Contractor's plan for achieving the separation to assure the appropriate protection is provided, as well as a proposed Health and Safety Plan, is outlined in the Barrier Plan.
The current barrier plan is designed so that is allows direct access points from outside of the building to construction areas only, and it eliminates the ability to access other areas of the building.

The number of entrances between the construction and occupied areas is limited to one wing, east or west, to not only further decrease construction safety and health concerns, but further increase efficiencies and effectiveness of construction activities.  Benefits:

• Reduced number of entrances to minimize dust and  dirt migration into occupied areas by eliminating access of the construction employees into the occupied areas
• Create better barrier protection that helps keep any contaminants within the construction zone
• Construction employees have been trained on housekeeping responsibilities to maintain construction areas

Will the building still be secure?

All wings under construction will be isolated by fire-rated construction with alarmed and lockable doors. The workmen, whenever possible, will be using stairways within the construction zone and materials will be brought up the hoist you see constructed within the scaffolding erected at the end of the wing. All of the construction employees are screened for work in a Federal building and issued appropriate identification cards. In addition, the contract guards for the building will coordinate efforts to protect the inhabitants of the building from harm and make sure that personal and government property, and contractor materials and equipment, continue to remain in their proper locations.

I have heard the building has asbestos in it, what implication does that have?

The building, according to the construction standards of its day, utilized asbestos in various materials to aide in fireproofing the structure. Years ago, extensive surveys were performed to determine the materials containing asbestos, as well as the locations of this product. The building facilities personnel have had an on-going management plan to perform work in and around affected areas. Part of the scope of this Modernization will be to remove some areas of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM). Many areas of ACM, such as the acoustical plaster ceilings, will remain, as it poses no hazard to the employees.

Daily air monitoring for asbestos is performed while inspecting the construction areas by an independent Industrial Hygienist and that all of the air sampling results, to date, are within regulatory guidelines.

How will I know where to go in the event of an emergency?

The Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP) will be amended as the construction closes existing exits and the occupant's surroundings become less familiar. Training and drills will be scheduled. Additionally, GSA has approved installation of the Public Address component of the new Fire Alarm System during the first phase of construction. For additional information see http://www.nbc.gov/facilities/oep/index.html.

Will I still be able to access the C street entrance, E street entrance, or the garage ramps?

Pedestrian access to the building at C and E Streets is scheduled to remain open throughout the whole project.  Certain ramp access to garage parking may be effected from time to time.  In the case a ramp needs to be closed, occupants with parking permits will be notified prior to the closure and provided instructions on alternative ramp access.

Will my telephone and computer connections be interrupted?

All telephone and computer realignments will take place, whenever possible, during non-working hours. There may be occasional interruptions due to the sheer volume of changes or from other unpredicted situations. The modernization program will make every effort to deal with these interruptions a quickly as possible. It is important that any 24/7 telephone and computer operations be identified to us so that we can arrange for continued service.

Is this Modernization attempting to be environmentally responsible?

Interior commissioned a study on how to implement sustainable design and constructions practices into the building program. The Modernization project has been selected to participate in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED's) for Existing Buildings pilot program.

Where can I go for the latest and best information regarding the status of facilities?

As the modernization proceeds from the E-street to the C-street end of the building certain facilities such as the gym, library, auditorium and cafeteria will be at least temporarily impacted. As changes occur and schedules are advanced or delayed, we will publish that information via LAN messages and placards. Additionally, we have established a Modernization Web Site hosted by the National Business Center and will use the site to keep you informed of activity and issues.

Who do I call when I need more information or assistance?

The best place to start is with your bureau or office Administrative Contact. In many instances you may also have a move coordinator specifically assigned to your office. For normal building problems please continue to call the Division of Facilities Management at 202-208-7560. For questions or problems directly related to the Modernization, please call the Modernization Program office at 202-208-7283 or send an e-mail to NBC_MIB_Modernization@nbc.gov.

When am I scheduled to move?
Please get in touch with the Administrative Contact for your Bureau or office for specific move dates.  If you do not know your Administrative Contact, click the Contact Us link on the left of this page, and we will be glad to help you identify your Administrative contact.  For more information related to moves click here.