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| Date: | January 11, 2012 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR CARLA NELSON STATEMENT ON CAPITOL PRESERVATION COMMISSION DEVELOPMENTS |
St. Paul- Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) authored a bill, Senate File 1200, during the 2011 Legislative Session to establish a State Capitol preservation commission to develop a comprehensive, multi year, pre-design financial plan for the restoration of the Capitol building. After the commission was establish, Senator Nelson was selected to serve as one of its 15 members.
The Commission met Wednesday, January 11 to review the preliminary comprehensive 2012-2032 Capitol Master Plan, review the Preliminary Predesign for the Restoration of the Capitol and review the Commission’s First Annual Legislative Report. After the meeting, Senator Nelson gave the following statement.
“Today’s report outlined the Capitol Preservation project – spanning four years and costing $241 million or $625/square foot. When questioned about the high cost, the consultant Mr. Hart indicated that with a building of this historical significance almost everything becomes an ‘artisan’ project. With that in mind, I asked for an itemized list of expenditures that would be eligible for Legacy funds. Governor Dayton has agreed with my request and we will be able to consider that list as we develop a final solution. Another thing that struck me was that the restoration plan called for the Capitol to be closed for two years. In addition to the moving costs and cost of leasing space, I am specifically concerned about restricting access to the People’s House. I’ve asked that we explore options, such as running double shifts for restoration work during the six months of legislative interim so as not to close the Capitol,” said Senator Nelson. “We made progress today as we reviewed plans to restore our State Capitol. As I travel across the district, the priorities that people identify for Capitol preservation are preventing decay and protecting the architectural character of the building. Minnesotans are very proud of our State Capitol and I will do everything I can to preserve this historical icon of our statehood, in a cost-effective manner.”
