Current:Home > FinanceNearly $300M Virginia legislative building set to open to public after delays-LoTradeCoin
Nearly $300M Virginia legislative building set to open to public after delays
View Date:2024-12-23 15:30:10
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia General Assembly’s airy new legislative building, home to lawmakers’ offices and the committee rooms where much of the Legislature’s work is done, is set to open to the public later this month after years of planning, construction and delays.
The nearly $300 million modernized facility — constructed on the same footprint of its cramped, asbestos-laden predecessor near the Thomas Jefferson-designed Capitol — will offer improved conditions for those who work there. It will also provide better access, comfort and convenience to members of the public who visit Richmond to engage with their representatives, state officials involved in the project said on a press tour Thursday.
“This is going to be more beneficial to people who are interested in the process or have concerns to bring before the Legislature. It’s going to be a better-functioning building overall,” said Susan Clarke Schaar, the longtime Senate clerk who helped oversee the project.
The 15-story building — 14 above grade and one below — has a 12,000-person capacity and a bank of speedy elevators. It will have larger committee rooms, comfortable public seating areas, a post office location, upgraded security features and lactation rooms for new parents. A much-expanded dining area that includes a coffee bar will be open to the public year-round despite the Legislature’s part-time schedule, officials said.
The gleaming new building, which incorporates an original 1912 facade, came in behind schedule and over budget.
Officials initially authorized funding in 2016, and legislative offices were moved out of the previous structure in 2017 for construction to begin. The historic facade was stabilized in place during demolition, the Department of General Services has said.
The building was initially supposed to open in June 2022 but ran behind schedule due to pandemic-related supply chain difficulties and a building code issue related to a stairwell. A certificate of occupancy was obtained in August.
The price tag currently stands at $292 million for the building and an in-progress tunnel connecting it to the Capitol, though the project isn’t totally complete, according to Dena Potter, a spokesperson for DGS. That’s approaching the $300 million sum that was initially authorized in 2016 for a broader project that included not only the General Assembly Building but also a new parking garage and the renovation of the nearby Victorian Gothic Old City Hall, a National Historic Landmark that now houses state government offices.
The latest total cost of the three projects wasn’t immediately available Thursday.
A General Assembly Building replacement was deemed necessary for a variety of reasons. The previous facility was actually comprised of what had been several separate buildings with an elevator shaft between them, which was like the “bride of Frankenstein in my humble opinion,” said G. Paul Nardo, the House clerk. It had mold problems, was full of asbestos — making technological improvements like new wiring far more expensive — and simply didn’t have enough space for members of the public, officials said on Thursday’s tour.
A dedication ceremony for the new building will be held next week on Wednesday.
Schaar, who has served as the Senate clerk since 1990, said she was proud of a new building she thinks “reflects Virginia” and is glad to see the project done.
“I feel like saying hallelujah,” she said.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- South Carolina does not set a date for the next execution after requests for a holiday pause
- Morgan Spurlock, documentary filmmaker behind Super Size Me, dies of cancer at 53
- Louisiana legislature approves bill to classify abortion pills as controlled substances
- The 180 Best Memorial Day 2024 Deals: Old Navy, Anthropologie, J.Crew, Kate Spade, Wayfair, Coach & More
- Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
- Officials change course amid outrage over bail terms for Indian teen accused in fatal drunk driving accident
- Soon after Nikki Haley said she'd vote for Trump, Biden campaign met with her supporters
- Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein’s New York case cry foul over defense lawyer’s comments
- Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader Throws Shade At Her DWTS Partner Sasha Farber Amid Romance Rumors
- Patrick Mahomes' Wife Brittany Mahomes Gives Health Update After Breaking Her Back
Ranking
- Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
- 11-year-old graduates California junior college, has one piece of advice: 'Never give up'
- American ex-fighter pilot accused of illegally training Chinese aviators can be extradited to U.S., Australian judge says
- Rodeo Star Spencer Wright's 3-Year-Old Son Wakes Up After Toy Tractor Accident
- How Leonardo DiCaprio Celebrated His 50th Birthday
- UCLA police arrest young man for alleged felony assault in attack on pro-Palestinian encampment
- Family members infected with brain worms after eating undercooked bear meat
- North Carolina judge properly considered jurors’ request in murder trial, justices decide
Recommendation
-
Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
-
Ketel Marte hitting streak: Diamondbacks star's batting average drops during 21-game hitting streak
-
Memorial Day 2024: Score food deals at Hooters, Krispy Kreme, Smoothie King and more
-
NCAA, leagues sign off on nearly $3 billion plan to set stage for dramatic change across college sports
-
Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, N.W.A. and Janet Jackson get Songwriters Hall of Fame nods
-
Dolly Parton to spotlight her family in new album and docuseries 'Smoky Mountain DNA'
-
NOAA 2024 Hurricane Forecast Is for More Storms Than Ever Before
-
Family members infected with brain worms after eating undercooked bear meat