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The National Archives Building, built in 1935, is undergoing a $110-million renovation that will restore the facility's rotunda and install fiber-optic lighting systems and high-security vaults. Mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded, and head space in the exhibit galleries will be created by the removal of several floors, shrinking the building's total space from 1.4-million sf to 900,000 sf. The project includes a visitors center, a museum gift shop, an expanded snack bar, microfilm research rooms, staff offices, larger exhibit space, and a 228-seat theater under the Constitution Avenue steps. Construction began in March 2000 and is slated for completion in July 2004; the renovated rotunda will be unveiled first in September 2003.

The project team includes construction manager Heery International of Atlanta, architect Hartman-Cox Architects of Washington, engineer URS of Los Angeles, and security designer Gage-Babcock of Chantilly, Va.