Hershey Trust Company Building | One West Chocolate Avenue

• Location: Hershey, PA
• Client: The Hershey Trust Company
• Size: 27,760 sf
• Team Members: Barton Associates (MEP consultant) , M@C Design Group (lighting designer) , Mid-State (general contractor)

The Hershey Trust Company Building at One West Chocolate Avenue was constructed in 1914. The Hershey National Bank was established at this site in 1925, and continued to operate here until the building was sold to PNC Bank in 1986. In 2006, the Trust reacquired the property and began rehabilitation efforts.

The Owner’s overarching goal for the project was to improve circulation and accessibility throughout the building and develop a fully-accessible entrance from the parking area at the rear to supplement the existing, non-accessible entrance from Chocolate Avenue. A new portico was added at the back of the building to mark the entrance, and in conjunction with this exterior work at the rear of the building, the site was regraded and fully landscaped and the existing bank drive-thru was rebuilt. These modifications made the new entrance more welcoming and improved accessibility and pedestrian safety where drive-thru traffic and walking paths from the parking areas intersected.

Construction of the new interior lobby required removal all of the existing electrical, plumbing and mechanical equipment located in the designed area, as well as a portion of the first floor structure. New structural members were designed and added to enable these modifications, which opened the space up to a grand 25’ ceiling height. The interior of the space was designed to complement the second floor, using similar materials, finishes, and detailing. New metal railings in this space were inspired by photographs of the railing that once surrounded the bank mezzanine and feature the original Hershey Trust Company logo.

Rehabilitation of the second floor included restoration and cleaning of the 16’ x 28’ stained glass skylight crowning the space. All of the mahogany woodwork was stripped of paint and refinished to its original hue. Paint sampling revealed the original color scheme and the palette was restored throughout the space. All original doors (most with operable transoms) and hardware were painstakingly cleaned, refinished, and reinstalled. The design team added new floor coverings, and an assortment of lighting techniques were employed to provide adequate foot-candle levels for modern work-spaces and illuminate the skylight.