riff raff,
Thanks for a very interesting and insightful comment! I visited KSC several times at that period ('97-'98) in the course of the integration of the first two modules of the ISS and respective crew training. That flight (ISS 2A / STS-88) in Dec '98 followed the one (STS-95) with John Glenn.
Our KSC friends also kindly arranged an in-depth facility tour for us, including OPF (with a Shuttle being under maintenance), VAB and others.
This is a small world.