Meantime, the biggest repair and refurbishment project in the history of the 96-year-old state Capitol is to be accomplished through a $120 million, 10-year bond measure. Longstanding problems in the plumbing, electrical system and facade of the landmark building would finally be fixed.

A four-pound chunk of concrete nearly hit a worker’s desk recently in a basement office, a backed up pipe in the same area spewed smelly water into the carpet and parts of the grounds outside the building are blocked off to prevent people from being hit by falling pieces of the building’s crumbling facade.

House Speaker Jeff Hickman called the repairs long overdue and noted that an oversight committee would ensure the project is completed “in an efficient and fiscally conservative manner.”

Oklahoma Finance Secretary: Indian museum funding proposal 'dead' | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-finance-secretary-indian-museum-funding-proposal-dead/article/4826727)

Didn't really know where to put this....

This new building is for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Mental Health and Substance and Abuse Services.

Lawmakers unveil $40M plan for new state building - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25557419/lawmakers-unveil-40m-plan-for-new-state-building)

As for the actual capitol building itself

Several key issues are unresolved as Oklahoma Legislature speeds to adjournment | News OK (http://newsok.com/several-key-issues-are-unresolved-as-oklahoma-legislature-speeds-to-adjournment/article/4832010)

Didn't really know where to put this....

This new building is for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Mental Health and Substance and Abuse Services.

Lawmakers unveil $40M plan for new state building - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25557419/lawmakers-unveil-40m-plan-for-new-state-building)

The OK DVA is in the shack east of the old 45th Brigade Headquarters on 23rd St. That place looks like it is going to fall down any minute.

Hopefully they tear it down and don''t just put surface parking on it.

I usually don't agree with newsok/Joklahoman editorials, but this one I do (assuming it's correct, since I haven't really fact-checked everything in it):

Politics at heart of bond issue opposition by Oklahoma House members | News OK (http://newsok.com/politics-at-heart-of-bond-issue-opposition-by-oklahoma-house-members/article/4845053)

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/4851172?embargo=1



Towering scaffolding around the state Capitol will be the first indication that the biggest repair, refurbishment and remodel in the 96-year history of the landmark building is under way.



Many details of the project are yet to be worked out, but some facts are clear.

Overall funding will be $120 million under a bond measure that was given final approval Friday by the Oklahoma Legislature. The governor is expected to sign the measure.

Is this what the State Capitol will look like in 2,000 years...

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...and the AICC will look that way in 10 years.

We should make the House work w/ hardhats & steel toe boots everyday until they pass funding for the AICC. ...then we will let them fix the capital.

Is this what the State Capitol will look like in 2,000 years...

7945

Probably nothing at all will be left. The better question is will anything be left in 200 years.

Is this what the State Capitol will look like in 2,000 years...

7945

Probably - if future generations are lucky. Long gone are the days of the public taking pride in civic buildings. You only have to look at public schools to see this in sharp relief. At one time the local school was an object of pride and built on a grand scale and now most schools are nothing more than acres of portable mobile homes or metal sheds built for the lowest possible cost. Do you think anything like the original Central High School could every be built today - despite our vast wealth compared to OKC in 1909? It couldn't be done in a million years. Now John Rex is the new high standard and if that had been proposed in 1909 the architect would have been publicly executed for trying to rip off the public treasury.

Probably - if future generations are lucky. Long gone are the days of the public taking pride in civic buildings. You only have to look at public schools to see this in sharp relief. At one time the local school was an object of pride and built on a grand scale and now most schools are nothing more than acres of portable mobile homes or metal sheds built for the lowest possible cost. Do you think anything like the original Central High School could every be built today - despite our vast wealth compared to OKC in 1909? It couldn't be done in a million years. Now John Rex is the new high standard and if that had been proposed in 1909 the architect would have been publicly executed for trying to rip off the public treasury.

I like this! And you are soooooooooo right. I am not even going to look it up...but my OLD Junior High School (Roosevelt) and High School (San Diego High) were magnificent old buildings.

Probably - if future generations are lucky. Long gone are the days of the public taking pride in civic buildings. You only have to look at public schools to see this in sharp relief. At one time the local school was an object of pride and built on a grand scale and now most schools are nothing more than acres of portable mobile homes or metal sheds built for the lowest possible cost. Do you think anything like the original Central High School could every be built today - despite our vast wealth compared to OKC in 1909? It couldn't be done in a million years. Now John Rex is the new high standard and if that had been proposed in 1909 the architect would have been publicly executed for trying to rip off the public treasury.

2000 years is a long time for any building. Anything built with steel isn't going to last long at all if future generations don't keep up on the upkeep by constantly repainting and restealing a structure.

Repairs to begin at Oklahoma Capitol | News OK (http://newsok.com/repairs-to-begin-at-oklahoma-capitol/article/4851172)

Fallin Signs $120M Oklahoma Capitol Repair Measure - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25643457/fallin-signs-120m-oklahoma-capitol-repair-measure)

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-gov.-mary-fallin-signs-120m-capitol-repair-measure/article/4861775

Gov. Fallin signs bill for Oklahoma Capitol repairs - Tulsa World: Homepage4 (http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepage4/gov-fallin-signs-bill-for-oklahoma-capitol-repairs/article_b5727ccb-4e83-5fa2-9740-27e996d69249.html)

Some political fodder about the capitol project thought I would share. The sticky note comments on the pdf are funny.

http://www.shannonforussenate.com/houserepairs.pdf

From News9


OKLAHOMA CITY - For years we have watched the state capitol crumble right in front of our eyes, but finally this year, the legislature approved $120 million in bonds to fix the building.
Oklahomans should see the repairs begin on the outside of the building before the end of the year. However, it will take about a year from now to work out a plan to fix the interior.

A visit to the capitol on Monday proved those repairs can't begin soon enough. The east tunnel of the capitol was closed as water dripped from the ceiling, the floor was flooded, and an odor wafts in the air.

"It does have a musty smell to it, kind of like an old garage that's been closed up," said David Kaul

"There's no shortage of problems in the basement of the capitol," said John Estus, Director of Public Affairs for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the agency in charge of maintaining the capitol.

Estus says fixing those problems in the basement will be a priority once the interior repairs begin.

- Plans Coming Together After $120 Million Approved For Capitol - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25733180/plans-coming-together-after-120-million-approved-for-capitol-repairs)

The large conference room on the 2nd floor which is utilized by the Governor is getting renovations.

According to former Capitol Architect Paul B. Meyer, this is something that has been on the State Capitol Preservation Commission’s “Wish List” for over 15 years.The project is currently budgeted at approximately $150,000, which would include repair and restoration costs, lighting, custom rugs, and a mural.

8642
8643

Repair Work Planned On Oklahoma Capitol Before Bonds - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/26015803/repair-work-planned-on-oklahoma-capitol-before-bonds)

Oklahoma Capitol Renovation Project Previewed - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/26043574/century-old-oklahoma-capitol-artifacts-on-display)

When is the Satan statue going in?

When is the Satan statue going in?

I read this as "Where is the Satan statue going in?" and thought in front of Sally Kern's office...

Probably - if future generations are lucky. Long gone are the days of the public taking pride in civic buildings. You only have to look at public schools to see this in sharp relief. At one time the local school was an object of pride and built on a grand scale and now most schools are nothing more than acres of portable mobile homes or metal sheds built for the lowest possible cost. Do you think anything like the original Central High School could every be built today - despite our vast wealth compared to OKC in 1909? It couldn't be done in a million years. Now John Rex is the new high standard and if that had been proposed in 1909 the architect would have been publicly executed for trying to rip off the public treasury.

Funny that you mention this. In the original contract for the building it was suppose to be 3 stories with a dome. Well, the legislature at the time of the construction decided they needed more room. So, they circumvented the contract by adding a 'basement and attic' getting the 5 floors they wanted. Consequently, they ran out of money to build the dome - and so it remained without a dome until the Keating administration.

TAlan CB, i dont think that's always the case. Buildings may not be built the same way today (to last a couple hundred years), but that doesn't mean they are built to crap standards. The new Yukon High is a very nice structure. Mid-Del opens some amazing new elementary schools in the fall (check out the mid-del forum). OCPS didn't just build metal crap when MAPs came through. Part of the design around 1900 that you are referring to is just that, design of the time. Stone was more common then, as was a certain look. But remember, those are not stone structures, they're stone facades. They have a steel grid behind them just like the new stuff. It's a matter of how it's clad.

I'd say buildings that are made now are far more flexible for the future too. Most districts learned the lessons from those old structures on things to do to keep the buildings relevant in the future. Things like ensuring conduit is available for expansion for unknown future electrical/technological needs. Using drop ceiling instead of gluing tiles to ceilings so you have somewhere to put all that stuff and keep it dressed (or go with the exposed look instead). Energy efficiency, use of light, etc. They're just different.

Oklahoma Capitol Repair Bonds Authorization Begins - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/26346048/oklahoma-capitol-repair-bonds-authorization-begins)

http://www.koco.com/news/authorization-of-oklahoma-capitol-repair-bonds-begins/27678824#!bIjPZB

Engineers To Rappel From Oklahoma Capitol Building - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/26474054/engineers-to-rappel-from-oklahoma-capitol-building)

http://www.koco.com/news/engineers-to-rappel-down-state-capitol-to-inspect-damage/27930620

http://kfor.com/2014/09/08/did-you-see-them-engineers-are-rapelling-from-the-oklahoma-capitol-building/

Seems money used to put a dome on the capital could have been better spent on what is now falling apart. but thats none of my business.

Seems money used to put a dome on the capital could have been better spent on what is now falling apart. but thats none of my business.

The dome was paid for with donations to a specific capital campaign, not state funds. We have the distinct pleasure of having the only state capital dome with corporate logos around the bottom rung of the dome. I guess it's hard to sell branding a plaque that reads "This wall no longer crumbling thanks to a generation donation from Devon Energy Corp."

The dome was paid for with donations to a specific capital campaign, not state funds. We have the distinct pleasure of having the only state capital dome with corporate logos around the bottom rung of the dome. I guess it's hard to sell branding a plaque that reads "This wall no longer crumbling thanks to a generation donation from Devon Energy Corp."

LOL. yes this is what I am told every time i mention it is how it was paid for by private donations.. to which I reply.. MONEY is MONEY.. it was better spent fixing the crumbling building rather than giving it additional weight to support.. put lipstick on that pig .. but its still a pig..

yah its nice to have a brand on EVERYTHING.. remember when arenas and ball parks just had names instead of coporate sponsors? progress I guess.

The dome was paid for with donations to a specific capital campaign, not state funds. We have the distinct pleasure of having the only state capital dome with corporate logos around the bottom rung of the dome. I guess it's hard to sell branding a plaque that reads "This wall no longer crumbling thanks to a generation donation from Devon Energy Corp."

It started out as being intended to be donev ia donations. Maybe I remember incorrectly, but wasn't a fair bit of public sector money included near the end?

Panel approves $120 million in bonds for Capitol repairs - Tulsa World: Capitol Report (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/capitol_report/panel-approves-million-in-bonds-for-capitol-repairs/article_8a35ed6b-2729-5704-a409-2e547dbc14da.html)

From the Journal Record:

Renovation realities: Committee knows it may find new issues when repairs start at Capitol

By: Marie Price The Journal Record October 9, 20140

OKLAHOMA CITY – It would require about 200,000 square feet of temporary office space – and possibly legislative action – to vacate the seat of government while the Capitol is repaired and renovated over the three or four years that could take, officials learned Thursday.

State architect Duane Mass said that Texas used that approach after a major fire forced it to close its Capitol in 1992. But most states do not do anything so drastic while polishing up their Capitol buildings.

Mass told the State Capitol Repair Expenditure and Oversight Committee that there are some not-insignificant pluses to complete closure while the work is being done, including cost and time savings.

But that would mean dispersing state offices through the Oklahoma City area and relocation of telephones, technology and security; as well as leasing costs, among other considerations, he said.

Officials are more likely to approach the major renovation of the century-old structure in phases. But the panel was told that even that option would require 30,000 to 40,000 feet of flex space, either inside the Capitol or elsewhere, for tenants to use as portions of the building are renovated.

Mass said this approach costs more in money and time.

However, both legislative houses can remain in the building and use their chambers.

“The chambers are in very good shape,” he told the panel.

The House and Senate chambers have both undergone renovation in recent decades.

Members discussed the feasibility of using the old Capitol structure in Guthrie for some legislative operations, with some raising questions of legality about relocating the seat of state government. Some ceremonial sessions have been held in Guthrie.

“We need some kind of legal read,” said state Sen. Corey Brooks, R-Washington.

The committee adopted what Mass termed a broad-brush set of goals and criteria for repairing and renovating the Capitol’s interior. It addressed outdated plumbing and electrical systems, structural issues. installing emergency power during the project. updating lighting and heating/air conditioning, upgrading elevators, improving technology and security, and enhancing the building’s historic character, among other issues.

Members also approved selection criteria for a request for proposals from qualified design-build vendors for the project.

Committee Chairman Steve Mason said that seismic concerns need to be added to consideration of structural issues, a reference to the many earthquakes central Oklahoma has experienced recently.

Legislators approved a measure for a $120 million bond issue for the project. However, Mass said there is no way to know what problems may be uncovered after work gets underway.

State Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, said officials should develop a list of everything that needs to be done to make the Capitol the great structure it was intended to be. But he and others discussed the possibility that $120 million may not address all issues.

“We’re going to have to make some tough choices once we get this final document,” Sears said.

Brooks said the state needs to take a phased, triage approach to the project, given the uncertainties.

“I do think we need to be practical about that,” he said.

Project Director Trait Thompson said work on the building’s exterior is proceeding on schedule. After initial responses from potential vendors, he said, three vendors will be selected to respond to a request for proposals.

Thompson said engineers who surveyed the Capitol’s entire exterior in September are back this week looking behind part of the façade for hidden issues. Some of the hidden damage was caused by the expansion of metal strips that cause chunks of limestone to pop off, he said.

The committee’s next meeting is in December.

This past Monday, our RetroMetroOKC (http://www.retrometrookc.org/) meeting was at the Capitol. I had not visited since grade school and this one of a kind building is like Disneyland for history geeks. I had never seen the grand entrance and the steps when you first walk in. I had only experienced something this awe inspiring since I visited the Grand Banking Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157645439516687/) earlier in the year.

I'm going to be a part of documenting the restoration project with the help of Trait Thompson (https://twitter.com/TraitThompson), allowing me full access to the Capitol. I'll probably be visiting the outside today or tomorrow.

October 13 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157648455208377/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npUqgThM_0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_VgbhkKV70

Thank you. Great videos.

From the Journal Record:

Bond battle: Fent challenges measure to fund Capitol repairs

By: Marie Price The Journal Record November 12, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure outlining a $120 million bond issue to repair the state Capitol building is an unconstitutional special law, because notice of it was not published across the state, attorney Jerry Fent argued Wednesday.

Fent’s challenge to House Joint Resolution 1033 is scheduled for a hearing before an Oklahoma Supreme Court referee on Dec. 2.

“My research discovered the 1910 statute establishing the Capitol building in Oklahoma City,” said Fent. “In that law, it established two buildings, the Capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion.”

HJR 1033 does not address both structures and is therefore not a general law for which publication is not required, he said.

“It’s a special bill for only one of the two buildings established under law in 1910,” Fent said. “When you have a special law, you must have a statewide publication in a statewide newspaper upon introduction of the bill. They did not do that.”

Solicitor General Patrick Wyrick, representing the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority, argues that the publication provision does not apply.

“[T]his state has only one Capitol building, and therefore the relevant class is a class of one,” Wyrick contends in his brief.

The Supreme Court has previously held that a statute relating to all people or things in a class is a general law, while a special law is one that singles out less than an entire class for different treatment, the solicitor general wrote.

“With HJR 1033, this court is dealing with a class of one,” Wyrick argued. “There is no other building capable of comparison to the Capitol building. It is the only one of its kind, grandly and ‘suitably’ designed for its particular function as Oklahoma’s statehouse.”

The joint resolution is not unlike the 2005 bill that authorized the OCIA to issue $21.65 million in bonds to renovate the Wiley Post Historical Building, which became the Oklahoma Judicial Center, Wyrick told the court. That measure was not challenged as a special law, he contended.

Fent has a history of challenging laws that he feels were passed inappropriately or violate the state Constitution.

Fent is someone with way too much spare time on his hands. If he would just channel some of that into doing something constructive for the state just imagine what he might be able to accomplish.

Oral Arguments Set For Capitol Repair Challenge - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/27527433/oral-arguments-set-for-capitol-repair-challenge)

From the Journal Record:

Double trouble: Capitol building, Governor’s Mansion must be addressed together, Fent argues

By: Marie Price The Journal Record December 2, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – A 1910 state law authorized the creation of the Capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion. That created a class that must be addressed together, not singly, attorney Jerry Fent argued to an Oklahoma Supreme Court referee Tuesday.

“You can’t fix only one,” he told referee Greg Albert. “Let’s not ignore the law. Let’s not violate the law.”

Fent is challenging a $120 million Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority bond issue that was approved by the Legislature to repair the Capitol building, whose construction began a century ago. The building has serious structural, plumbing, electrical and other systemic problems.

It would have be inappropriate for the Legislature to create a class of one, Fent argued.

“That smells of a special law,” he said.

Fent asked and answered his own question as to whether lawmakers could authorize funding to repair the Capitol in a general law.

“I don’t think you can,” he said.

Under Oklahoma law, Fent said, both buildings must be addressed. The Capitol by itself could be the focus only with required publication and other mandates being met, he said.

Closing out his argument, Fent took on the nature of the bonds, the cost of which he said could balloon to about $200 million over the proposed 10-year life of the proposed bond issue.

“It’s not a debt of the Legislature,” he said. “It’s not a debt of the state of Oklahoma. It’s a debt of the people. The Legislature and the governor want the people to be in debt for another 10 years … The people don’t need any more debt.”

Assistant Attorney General Cara Rodriguez appeared on behalf of the OCIA.

Rodriguez said the measure outlining the bond issue is a general law providing for the repair of the Capitol building for all Oklahomans.

“House Joint Resolution 1033 applies to everyone,” she told Albert. “It’s not to the benefit of a particular locality.”

Rodriguez also argued that the Capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion are not similar in structure or purpose, with the former being the focus of much of the business transacted by state government.

The Oklahoma Constitution requires that all money borrowed by the state must be for a specific purpose or project, Rodriguez said. She said the state justices have previously approved bonds similar to those set aside for repairing the Capitol, but have found that multiple-project measures violate a provision limiting legislation to single subjects.

Albert told the parties that he will file a report with the court, along with their briefs and other documents, by Monday. He said the justices will likely discuss the case at their conference the following Monday.

The court has options as to how to proceed, including ruling on the case as presented or calling for oral argument to the full court before issuing a decision.

Sounds like Fent is grasping at straws. Lets say the law did imply that the Governors Mansion has to be repaired too, who determines the final "acceptable" state of the building? Its very ambiguous how much attention would have to be given toward the mansion.

Oklahoma Supreme Court approves Capitol bond issue | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-supreme-court-approves-capitol-bond-issue/article/5376262)


The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the constitutionality of legislation calling for the issuance of $120 million in bonds to pay for repairs to the crumbling state Capitol building.

Oklahoma Supreme Court OKs $120 Million Capitol Bond Issue - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/27634128/oklahoma-supreme-court-oks-120-million-capitol-bond-issue)

From the Journal Record:

Capitol challenges: Minnesota, Kansas offer words of advice for Oklahoma

By: Marie Price The Journal RecordDecember 17, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – Vic Thorstenson of Minnesota has some advice for states renovating their capitol buildings.

“It was not a good idea for the Legislature to try to stay in the Capitol during renovation,” Thorstenson, Senate project manager for the Minnesota Capitol renovation, said Wednesday. “It has added to the cost. It has added to the time.”

It also means working around construction debris and noise and having a research staff two buildings away, he said.

Minnesota is one of a half-dozen states that are planning, working on or have already completed work on their capitols. About two-thirds of state capitols are at least a century old.

Earlier this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld a $120 million bond issue for the planned renovation of the state Capitol, which was built during World War I.

Minnesota is in the middle of its $272 million, phased renovation project, which Thorstenson said should be finished in early 2017.

The Kansas Capitol upgrade, which was done in several phases over 13 years for a total of $323 million, has been completed. Of the total, $320 million was covered by a bond issue, with another $3 million from transferred funding.

The original structure took 37 years, back in the pay-by-cash days.

A 1999 summary of the project listed a $120 million cost estimate, but Kansas Statehouse Architect Barry Greis said that report also stressed that costs would have to be reviewed moving forward.

Both states uncovered some unexpected issues when workers took down walls and looked behind surfaces.

Greis said that during renovation of the 1903 Kansas Capitol, workers uncovered several improperly constructed doorway headers shored up with pieces of scrap lumber.

“We were surprised that the roof was still standing in some places, because the beams were cut too short,” he said. “I mean, how do you do that?”

In one wing of the building, plaster started peeling away and falling off the walls.

“We had it tested and found out that there was not enough horsehair in it, which was and is still used as a binding agent to hold the plaster together,” he said. “That was a $1 million surprise, because we had to replaster every wall and ceiling.”

Due to Minnesota’s tough freeze-thaw cycle over the years, chunks of Georgian marble have fallen from its Capitol, built between 1895 and 1905. Oklahoma has had a similar problem with pieces of granite falling off of its Capitol.

“Marble’s a porous stone and it absorbs water and it freezes and it breaks off,” Thorstenson said. “We really didn’t know what the price tag on that was going to be.”

It added close to $28 million to the overall cost.

“A lot of the stone that needed to be actually re-carved and replaced onto the Capitol is very ornately carved,” he said. “There’s just not a lot of people that do that anymore.”

Carving jobs were split between Canada and Italy.

This part of the Minnesota project spans from the long-standing tradition of marble carving in Italy to a much more modern concept.

“We even are using computers to 3-D print some of these,” Thorstenson said. “They can get about 80 percent of it carved using computers to partially carve these things before the handwork needs to be done.”

Greis explained the phasing of the Kansas project.

“The Legislature needed to have both chambers operational each year from January through May for the five-month session,” he said.

That meant moving around legislative leaders and others who stayed in the building.

“That’s really how the phasing developed, that we would do it over four different phases as we move people about and keep things operational,” he said.

Greis said plans were reviewed as each phase unfolded.

Kansas also built a 551-vehicle parking garage as one of its first subprojects, replaced the copper on the building’s dome and roof, and moved most utilities out of the building. That freed up 120,000 square feet in the building’s basement.

Thorstenson said the Minnesota renovation is bond-funded, with nearly all of it already authorized.

He termed it a good move for Oklahoma to decide on a single bond issue.

“You can take advantage of really remarkably low interest rates at this point,” he said.

Minnesota also focused on updating its air handling systems and adding stairways for increased safety, among other upgrades.

One consequence of the Minnesota project was a loss of tens of thousands of square feet, which meant that the Senate, the only one of the two legislative bodies housed in the Capitol, would have to move out. That may require a culture change.

“Obviously, senators don’t like leaving their nice spaces in the Capitol for a new building, but there was no other choice,” Thorstenson said.

Some leadership members and committee chairmen will remain, he added.

Three large hearing rooms are also being added, with an overall gain of 15,000-20,000 square feet of public space, Thorstenson said.

Currently, two-thirds of the Minnesota Capitol is closed. After the Legislature’s 2015 session ends in May, Thorstenson said, the space he and others currently occupy will have to be vacated for construction, which brings up another problem. The new building will not be completed until about six months after that.

“What we’re finding is a lot of difficulty securing short-term rental space in St. Paul,” Thorstenson said. “We actually don’t have a place nailed down where we have to go. All we know is that we have to go.”

It would have been really neat for the legislature to relocate temporarily to the old India Temple building...

Honestly we'd all probably be a lot better off if they just suspended all legislative endeavors and adjourned during construction.

I think they out to relocate to the Supreme Court inasmuch as that is where most of the legislation from this bunch ends up.

Honestly we'd all probably be a lot better off if they just suspended all legislative endeavors.

Fixed it for you. ;)

Kansas Company Selected To Repair Oklahoma Capitol - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/27687733/kansas-company-selected-to-repair-oklahoma-capitol)

From the Journal Record:

State chooses contractor for exterior Capitol repairs

By: Emily Summars The Journal Record December 22, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – After hearing three proposals to repair the exterior of the state Capitol, Oklahoma has finally put on JE Dunn Construction’s proverbial ring.

“The process we used was beyond reproach and ended up with us securing the most qualified contractor who had developed the best approach at restoring the exterior of our building,” said Preston Doerflinger, secretary of finance and revenue. “I’ve got my sleeves rolled up and we’re ready to get to work on this Capitol.”

Doerflinger said all three proposals were high-quality, but Dunn’s proposal was the most comprehensive.

Construction will begin once the state receives proceeds from the sale of bonds allowed by House Joint Resolution 1033. That measure, by state Rep. Jeff Hickman, R-Dacoma, and Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward, authorized a $120 million bond to repair and restore the Capitol. A contract maximum of $25 million has been allotted for the exterior work.

State Capitol Project Manager Trait Thompson said the state does not know the full cost of repairs because it is too early in the process.

Earlier this year the state hired Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates to investigate the Capitol’s exterior condition. Representatives from the Northbrook, Illinois-company rappelled down the building to test its integrity and condition.

“There are quite a few issues that are going on on this building and we needed to wrap our arms around the details that we needed to address,” Thompson said. “We found some things we didn’t know we would find.”

Steven Naggatz, WJE senior associate, said the company is optimistic the problems are manageable. The company released its final report in early December.

“Our investigation sought to examine the exterior walls of the building and include a combination of things that are readily visible and other conditions not so readily visible,” Naggatz said.

Naggatz said staining on the limestone façade, mortar joints and the stone itself need repair. He said a clear-coat sealant applied several years ago caused the staining and other damage.

“(Regarding) the mortar joints of the building, it’s clearly evident there’s widespread failure throughout the entire building and the mortar will have to be re-pointed 100 percent,” Naggatz said. “By re-pointing, I mean cutting the old mortar out to a specified depth and replacing that mortar with new material.”

Naggatz said trial repairs should be part of the process to ensure the material and workmanship are successful. The clear-coat sealant may be detrimental to the long-term effects of repair and mortar joints, he said.

“We were surprised to find the building did not have as many milled steel anchors that hold the limestone façade,” Naggatz said. “That’s negative and positive.”

Some of the steel anchors have caused cracking, which Naggatz describes as popping out from the limestone. Naggatz said the issue arises where steel anchors have been used but have not yet popped; therefore WJE is unsure on the location of all anchors.

Part of the concern is how to identify the locations of the anchors. Another area of concern includes the crumbling, or exfoliation, of the limestone façade, corrosion of window frames and cracks at the base of the dome.

“The extent of our work may grow slightly beyond just the skin of the façade,” Naggatz said. “It may extend into the Capitol grounds a little bit.”

Nothing in the investigation led WJE to think the building was unsafe, Naggatz said, but the yellow barricades at the Capitol’s entrance should remain in place.

“Our opinion is there is some risk for development of stress and, until we can implement repairs, the barricades should remain in place,” Naggatz said.

Once funding is finalized, the Capitol will be divided into work zones.

Thompson said an interior restoration and repair vendor will be named by Feb. 23.

JE Dunn Construction has worked on buildings in Kansas, Oregon and other areas. The company is currently working on 24 projects in Oklahoma.

“We are confident this partnership will help make us proud of it today as we were when it (the state Capitol) opened nearly a century ago,” Doerflinger said.

Not unexpectedly, unexpected problems have arisen.

Oklahoma's 12-year-old Capitol Dome is significantly cracked | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/oklahomas-12-year-old-capitol-dome-is-significantly-cracked/article/5378736)


Engineers have discovered significant cracking in the cast stone panels that form the exterior of Oklahoma’s Capitol dome, completed amid much fanfare just 12 years ago.

“Cracks exist at a total of 172 units, or approximately 10 percent of all cast stone units on the dome. Most of the cracks occur at the base of the dome,” stated a report by Wiss, Janner, Elstner Associates, or WJE, a Chicago company that did a detailed examination of the building’s exterior as a prelude to repair work.

Hmmm I think I need to get in the dome repair business. I'll fix it for the the state and come back six years later and say "We need to fix your crack habit."

If it's cracking that soon, then it's time to get the construction company to come fix it for free.

Cast stone is essentially concrete. Concrete can always be guaranteed to do 2 things: get hard & crack. Unless these are major structural cracks (i.e. one section is displaced from another) there is not much reason to be concerned from a safety standpoint. It's likely simply a cosmetic thing. And unless you are crawling around on the roof, you will probably never even notice the cracks.

Cast stone is essentially concrete. Concrete can always be guaranteed to do 2 things: get hard & crack. Unless these are major structural cracks (i.e. one section is displaced from another) there is not much reason to be concerned from a safety standpoint. It's likely simply a cosmetic thing. And unless you are crawling around on the roof, you will probably never even notice the cracks.

People don't realize that concrete is in an ever-hardening state. It never stops curing, while most of the curing takes place days and weeks after it's poured, it still cures indefinitely. It will eventually get so hard it starts to crack and then starts very slowly returning back to it's natural state.

Hmmm I think I need to get in the dome repair business. I'll fix it for the the state and come back six years later and say "We need to fix your crack habit."

There's a headline for ya - Legislature turns to Cocaine as they decide to just say no to crack

Funny how we budgeted a repair price for the building when we didn't even inspect it thoroughly to get an idea of how much it might cost. I hope it doesn't go over budget.

Crews Face Several Challenges As They Repair OK Capitol - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/27732803/crews-face-several-challenges-at-they-repair-ok-capitol)

We have the state government which the majority (of the minority who bother to vote) seem to prefer.
Oh, aren't we the lucky ones.

amen