[Senate Report 106-68]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 138
106th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 106-68
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GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999
_______
June 7, 1999.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 449]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 449) to authorize the Gateway Visitor
Center at Independence National Historical Park, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.
purpose of the measure
The purpose of H.R. 449 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Gateway
Visitor Center Corporation to construct and operate a regional
visitor center on Independence mall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Secretary.
background and need
The 1997 National Park Service (NPS) general management
plan for Independence National Historical Park calls for the
revitalization of Independence Mall, with a key component being
the construction of a new visitor center. The center would
replace the current park visitor center and provide orientation
to the national historical park, the city of Philadelphia and
other regional attractions. The center would be operated by the
non-profit Gateway Visitor Center Corporation. The corporation
will raise funds for the center, and work with the NPS in the
design, development, construction and operation of the
facility.
As planned, visitor center will comprise approximately
50,000 square feet and will cost approximately $25 million to
build. Upon completion, the visitor center would be owned by
the National Park Service; however, revenues generated by the
corporation will be used to operate and administer the center.
Independence National Historic Park includes
internationally known resources such as the Liberty Bell,
Independence Hall, Congress Hall and Old City Hall. The park
receives about 1.6 million visitors each year. Admission is
free at sites operated by the National Park Service except at
the Second Bank Portrait Gallery and the Todd and Bishop White
Houses.
legislative history
H.R. 449 was passed by the House of Representatives on
April 12, 1999 and was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources on April 13, 1999.
On April 13, 1999 the Subcommittee on National Parks,
Historic Preservation, and Recreation held a hearing on similar
legislation: S. 582, sponsored by Senators Specter and
Santorum.
During the 105th Congress, Senators Specter and Santorum
introduced similar legislation (S. 2039) on July 14, 1998. The
Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation, and
Recreation held a hearing on S. 2039 on September 17, 1998.
That bill was reported by the Committee on September 23, 1998,
without amendment, by unanimous voice vote, and passed the
Senate, by voice vote on October 7, 1998. No further action was
taken by the House of Representatives.
At its business meeting on May 19, 1999, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 449, favorably
reported, without amendment.
committee recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on May 19, 1999, by a unanimous voice vote of
a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 449.
cost and budgetary considerations
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 25, 1999.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 449, the Gateway
Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
congressional budget office cost estimate
H.R. 449--Gateway Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 449 would cost less
than $1 million a year, subject to the availability of
appropriated funds. H.R. 449 would authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to execute an agreement with the Gateway Visitor
Center Corporation under which this nonprofit organization
would construct and operate a regional visitor center on
Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The act would
authorize the corporation to charge fees, sell food,
merchandise, and tickets, and provide information, facilities,
and services to visitors to the Independence National
Historical Park and other regional sites. Amounts earned from
fees and sales would be used by the corporation to help pay for
its operating expenses. The National Park Service (NPS) would
provide visitor information and facilities and offer
interpretive programs.
Based on information provided by the NPS, and assuming
appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO expects that the
agency would provide an annual contribution toward the
operation of the center. The appropriate federal contribution
has not yet been determined by the NPS, but CBO estimates that
it could be several hundred thousand dollars a year. Some of
the annual contribution may be offset by savings in operating
expenses that may be realized when the NPS closes its existing
visitor center at the park once the new Gateway Visitor Center
becomes operational in fiscal year 2000.
H.R. 449 would not affect direct spending or receipts;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The act
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no
significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
On March 10, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for H.R.
449, the Gateway Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999, as
ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on March
3, 1999. The two versions of the legislation are identical, as
are the estimated costs.
The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. This estimate was
approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
section-by-section analysis
Section 1 designates the bill's short title as the
``Gateway Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999.''
Section 2 lists the findings of the bill which state that a
Gateway Visitor Center would support the recent general
management plan's goals and priorities for the future of the
park. The purpose is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
(the Secretary) to enter into an agreement with the Gateway
Visitor Center Corporation (the Corporation).
Section 3 (a) authorizes the Secretary to enter into an
agreement, under appropriate terms and conditions, with the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation to facilitate the
construction and operation of a regional visitor center on
Independence Mall.
Subsection (b) authorizes the Corporation to operate the
visitor center in cooperation with the Secretary and to provide
information, interpretation, facilities and services to
visitors to Independence National Historic Site, its
surrounding historic sites, the city of Philadelphia and the
region.
Subsection (c) authorizes the Secretary to undertake
activities related to the management of Independence National
Historical Park, including, but not limited to, appropriate
visitor information and interpretive facilities and programs
related to the park.
Subsection (d) authorizes the Corporation to engage in
activities appropriate for the operation of the visitor center,
including charging fees, conducting events, and selling
merchandise, tickets and food at the center.
Subsection (e) directs that revenues from activities
engaged in by the Corporation are to be used for the operation
and administration of the center.
Subsection (f) directs that the Secretary is to take no
actions that would derogate the preservation and protection of
the values and resources of Independence National Historical
Park.
Subsection (g) defines terms used in the Act.
regulatory impact evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 449. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards of
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from
enactment of H.R. 449, as ordered reported.
executive communications
At the Subcommittee hearing a representative from the
National Park Service testified in support of S. 582, as
follows:
Statement of Katherine Stevenson, Associate Director for Cultural
Resource Stewardship and Partnership, National Park Service, Department
of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before this subcommittee to present the views of the Department
of the Interior on S. 582, a bill to authorize the Gateway
Visitor Center, a facility to be constructed on the mall at
Independence National Historical Park.
This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
enter into an agreement with a nonprofit corporation, the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation, to operate a new visitor
center to be built on parkland. It would authorize the
Corporation to undertake management-related activities, such as
providing visitor information and interpretation, and to engage
in other activities appropriate for a regional visitor center,
such as conducting events and selling merchandise and food. The
bill would authorize the use of revenues generated by the
Corporation for the operation and administration of the Center.
The Department of the Interior supports S. 582. This
legislation will enable the implementation of a critical
component of the General Management Plan (GMP) for Independence
National Historical Park, which was approved in April 1997, by
authorizing the operation of a regional Gateway Visitor Center
on Independence Mall.
Independence National Historical Park (Independence NHP) is
the site of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and other
historic treasures associated with the birth of our nation. The
park is located in the heart of Philadelphia. This great
American city is a living museum of historic sites, it has
played host to significant events in our nation's history, and
has a rich and diverse cultural heritage. Independence NHP
attracts more than 3.1 million visitors annually from around
the nation and the world. Visitors include school classes,
family vacationers and organized tour groups. Regardless of
their background each individual finds special meaning in the
birthplace of our Nation.
In 1993, Independence NHP began the process of developing
its first GMP. Prior planning was the master plan completed
over 25 years ago that resulted in the park's current
configuration. A GMP was approved in April 1997 after four
years of research, planning and unprecedented public
participation. The GMP affirmed a critical role for the park:
to enhance the overall quality of the visitor experience. The
GMP identified Independence Mall as the primary location for
the development of new visitor facilities. The GMP also
articulated a need for Independence NHP to become a more active
partner in the life of the city and the region. In so doing,
the GMP recognized the complementary roles of the park and the
community--park staff in achieving quality stewardship and
interpretation of the park, and the community in ensuring
sensitive preservation and development of the surrounding
neighborhoods.
Independent of the GMP, a series of studies conducted by
the Pew Charitable Trusts concluded that Greater Philadelphia
has been missing opportunities for enhanced regional identity
and significant economic development by failing to develop the
potential of its tourism industry.
These tourism studies and the GMP process, although
conducted separately, came to similar conclusions through their
joint recognition of Independence NHP as the primary
destination for visitors to the City of Philadelphia, and of
the inadequacies of Independence NHP's existing visitor center
to fully address the needs of those visitors. This led to the
proposals endorsed in the GMP to develop a new visitor center
on Independence Mall and to redevelop Independence Mall as a
gateway to the park and the surrounding historic district, city
and region. By way of a regional center, visitors could
potentially experience a richer visit through better
understanding of the overall historical and geographic context
of the park.
Subsequent to the approval of the GMP in April 1997, the
National Park Service entered into a contract with a
Philadelphia-based design team headed by the Olin Partnership,
a nationally recognized landscape architectural firm. This team
produced a Master Plan for Independence Mall, a detailed
physical design that elaborated the recommendations contained
in the GMP for the placement and relationships of the various
facilities and open space. It was presented to the public in
October 1997, and has met not only with acclaim from the
public, but an outpouring of financial support, detailed below.
The Gateway Visitor Center would directly address what the
GMP clearly articulates as the importance of the visitor
experience--recognizing the various needs and expectations of
visitors; managing their traffic flow through and beyond the
park; and allowing them to make the best use of available time
by providing more opportunities to discover and visit
historical, cultural, and natural resources in the park and
beyond. The Gateway Visitor Center is also a major component
contributing to the GMP's visitor orientation goal of
strengthening Independence Mall itself--providing a dignified
and comprehensive setting respecting the historical
significance of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, while
clarifying and enhancing the pedestrian environment.
Visitors to the center will also be able to gain
information and tickets to area tours, attractions and events.
They will be able to make reservations for accommodations,
restaurants and transportation; purchase items at a book and
gift store, obtain information and see films about the creation
of our nation and about the attractions of Philadelphia and the
surrounding region, and have a light meal. The Gateway Visitor
Center will be the distribution site for free tickets for
admission to Independence Hall during peak periods.
A range of private and nonfederal public entities have come
together to fund the development and construction of the
Gateway Visitor Center, which will be located on federal land
and owned by the federal government. The Gateway Visitor Center
will be developed by a private nonprofit corporation, the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation (GVCC). Pursuant to a long-
term agreement with the National Park Service, the Gateway
Visitor Center will be operated jointly by the National Park
Service and the Gateway Visitor Center Corporation. The GVCC
Board, comprised of representative stakeholders, includes the
Mayor of Philadelphia, a representative of the Governor of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a representative of the Pew
Charitable Trusts.
Current estimates call for an approximately 50,000 square
foot facility costing $24 million (hard and soft costs) for the
physical structure and exhibits. In addition, the overall
project development budget includes a $6 million endowment to
help support operation of the facility in the future, including
the ongoing maintenance, renewal and replacement of the
facility's exhibits.
This overall project budget of $30 million is in hand or
firmly committed, and is split equally between public (non-
federal) and private contributions. The Gateway Visitor
Center's leading private sector financial backer, and in many
ways one of the project's primary catalysts, is the Pew
Charitable Trusts, based in Philadelphia. It is one of the
nation's largest philanthropies. No federal money will be
utilized for the design or construction of the Gateway Visitor
Center.
While the Gateway Visitor Center itself can be constructed
within Independence NHP based on existing NPS authorities, the
proposed legislation permits the GVCC to undertake certain
activities that will enliven the visitor experience and
generate revenues to defray operating and management expenses
of the Gateway Visitor Center. It would allow the GVCC to
change fees, raise revenues, rent space for events, sell
merchandise, tickets and food, and enter into agreements with
other parties for these activities. The funds generated by
these activities would be retained by the GVCC to defray
ongoing costs of operations, maintenance and repair of the
building and exhibits, and for the periodic replacement,
improvement and modification of the exhibits in the building.
If authorization is enacted in the near future, the
projected completion date for the Gateway Visitor Center is
December 2000 based upon construction beginning in September of
this year. Once completed, the Gateway Visitor Center will be
operated and managed on a long-term basis by the National Park
Service and the GVCC pursuant to an agreement between the two
parties.
This agreement will define the relationship between the
National Park Service and the GVCC on a number of items of
particular concern to both parties, such as ongoing liaison
between the GVCC and the park, content of the Gateway Visitor
Center's exhibits, ticketing for Independence Hall, the
presence and role of park staff in the Gateway Visitor Center.
In addition, the agreement will set forth policies for
addressing such matters as the sale of merchandise, the rental
of Gateway Visitor center space, the display and content of
written materials, and the maintenance of the facility.
Once the funding mechanisms are in place, the Gateway
Visitor Center is designed to be financially self-sustaining.
Its annual operations will be supported through revenue
generating activities, endowment income, and various
stakeholder contributions, including an appropriate
contribution by NPS toward operations and maintenance.
This concludes my statement. I would be pleased to answer
any questions you may have.
changes in existing law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by H.R. 449, as ordered
reported.