Navy Yard

Building 661 at the Navy Yard was never a thing of beauty. Built in 1942, during the first months of U.S. involvement in World War II, the brick-and-concrete structure's purpose was to house an indoor swimming pool, basketball courts, and offices, a function it pragmatically performed until the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard closed in 1995. On Wednesday, the building, which has been unoccupied for nearly two decades, will begin a new life as headquarters of the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub, the two-year-old federally funded innovation center operated by Pennsylvania State University.

By Peter Torrellas The American Society of Civil Engineers recently released its report card on the state of American infrastructure. Frankly, the results aren't good. As a country we received a D-plus, and, in Pennsylvania, the infrastructure merited a C-minus. No other part of any industry in the world is competing and winning with machines, technology, or systems that are even one-third as old as the U.S. infrastructure. The United States is equipped with roads, bridges, and ports from the early to mid-20th century, and pipes and rail lines from the 19th century.

After his regular morning run of four miles, Andrew Witty had flown into Philadelphia from North Carolina and would soon fly out to London. In between all that moving, the chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline sat for a few minutes Thursday in the lobby of the newest building at the Navy Yard and explained why one of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies is still in this region. A week earlier, Glaxo announced plans to consolidate researchers from two facilities in Upper Merion, with 1,900 moving and most landing in a larger shop in Upper Providence.

Six cars of a CSX freight train derailed early Sunday afternoon in the company's Greenwich Yard in South Philadelphia between the sports stadiums and the new GlaxoSmithKline building at the Navy Yard. Three of the cars fell on their sides; one contained vinyl acetate, but there were no leaks or injuries, according to CSX spokesman Robert Sullivan. Vinyl acetate is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor used in a number of products, including latex paints, paper coatings, adhesives, textiles, and safety glass.

Ahoy, Navy Yard: Open up With recent articles on the success of the Navy Yard, I was eager to visit and check out the rehabbed historic buildings, LEED-certified new construction, the hulking, decommissioned Navy ships, and a master plan that called for more cycling and pedestrian access ("Navy Yard's rebirth," Feb. 3). The only problem is that security guards bar nonemployees on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays. When I did manage to make a daytime visit, I was struck by the wonderful jogging paths along the river, bike paths, and freshly paved sidewalks.

FOR THE LAST DECADE, construction cranes have been busy at the Navy Yard churning up dirt and converting the former shipyard into an office mecca for companies of all sizes. After celebrating the 10,000-employee milestone last week - the same number that was there before the shipyard closed in 1995 - developers said they're ready to turn their attention to a new phase: nightlife. Planning officials said they soon hope to secure the first restaurant that would be open for dinner and that would cater largely to the after-work crowd.

GlaxoSmithKline reported lower fourth-quarter profits Wednesday and said it would consider selling off two soft-drink brands popular in the United Kingdom, but chief executive officer Andrew Witty said he was "thrilled" with the early feedback received from Philadelphia employees moving from near Logan Square to a new facility at the Navy Yard. "Even some of the diehard skeptics are impressed with how things are going," Witty said during a news conference in London to discuss 2012 full-year and fourth-quarter results.

His coffee consumption level hasn't changed. Nor has his sleep schedule. But Michael McTigue feels a lot more energetic at work these days, perhaps because he stands most of the time. Sitting at a traditional office desk, "I ended up exhausted at the end of the day," said McTigue, director of digital media for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. "There was nothing stimulating me. " About a year ago, Glaxo set up a pilot program in which employees could work at adjustable-height desks, among a slew of other workplace design changes in preparation for the company's move from its Center City offices to the Navy Yard on Monday.

When Nina Johnsen, wife of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard CEO Kristian Rokke, cracked a champagne bottle over a bow to christen Aker's 18th tanker last week, many of the yard's 1,100 employees cheered. The shipyard, after several lean years, is building two tankers for Exxon Mobil Corp. Times are flush again. Aker is emblematic of how far the Navy Yard has come in a decade: from shriveled military base to 130 businesses and 10,000 employees. The latest arrival, GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C., will move 1,300 workers, starting Monday into a gleaming all-glass office building near the Navy Yard's front gate.

The city Friday will present an update to its master plan for the former Philadelphia Navy Base that would extend commercial development south to the waterfront and create an urban campus on the Delaware River. Mayor Nutter and Robert A.M. Stern, architect of the detailed plan, will present artist renderings for the 1,200-acre former military base where 66,000 workers built and overhauled warships during World War II. The city is also celebrating a milestone: 130 companies and 10,000 employees now work at the Navy Yard.