When renovation work is finished on the Verizon building at East Corydon and Congress streets, the three-story building is expected to house Verizon wireless and fiber optic materials.

Teri Cannon, Bradford city administrator, said Verizon officials received a work permit from the city in March to complete renovation of the building amounting to $785,630. The work, when completed, will include facade repairs, parking lot upgrades and roof replacement, among other renovations.

A spokesman for Verizon real estate operations in Pittsburgh said the building serves as the “key hub” for telecommunications in the region.

“Care was taken to match existing building materials and to keep the look and integrity of the facility,” the spokesman, who would not give his name, said.

The structure, constructed sometime around 1930, had served as the Bell Telephone building for a number of years.

“It originally housed telephone operations including telephony equipment, payment centers, operators and local maintenance,” the spokesman said. “Over the years, new internal organizations were created and specific work groups were migrated from the site.”  

A spokesman for Jeemco Inc. in New Wilmington, which serves as general contractor for the project, commented specifically on what the work entails in the 6,300 square-feet building, which also comprises a full basement.

“We’re looking at the middle November to have everything completed for the project,” the spokesman, who also asked not to be identified, said. “The brick face of the building had deteriorated to the point it where it needed to be (upgraded) — it wasn’t structurally unsound, but it needed work on some cracks and wear.”

The contractor said work crews had to repoint and redo the face of the building and replace broken bricks. He said a new insulated Carlisle rubber roof was installed to replace the old rubber roof. Work crews also reinforced and painted doors and window frames throughout the building and upgraded the plumbing and heating systems.

Unlike the old days, when dozens of operators and employees worked at the building, the current structure will be used by a few field technicians for their work and operations, the spokesman said.