By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
If you have visited the State Capitol in Frankfort the last couple of years, you may have noticed the scaffolding around the dome, which represents the first phase of an even larger renovation project which is getting ready to begin.
In 2022, the General Assembly appropriated $260 million in bond funds to Phase 2 of the Capitol Campus Renovation. The ongoing multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation project involves both the State Capitol and the Capitol Annex Building.
The Capitol opened in 1910, and according to the Finance and Administration Cabinet, the last major work done on the dome was in 1955. The structure of the Capitol dome is being completely rebuilt by replacing the 80-year-old terracotta tiles, installation of waterproofing, structural repairs and removing algae and other organic materials with the construction expected to be finished this year.
The remainder of the Capitol Campus Renovation project will include upgrades inside the Capitol which will begin upon completion of the dome renovation. As part of the project, two temporary buildings have been erected next to the Capitol Annex, where legislative offices are located, which will serve as the chambers for the House and Senate while the Capitol project is underway.
All Capitol occupants have either moved out already or will soon, so the renovation work can proceed. The entire project was targeted for completion by the Fall of 2028, but Gov. Andy Beshear says don’t be surprised if that goal is not met.
“This is an enormous old building that has never had a significant renovation and is going to have every rule and regulation for a historic building applied to it,” he said. “Once it starts, I expect it to take longer than the original estimate and I expect it to be more expensive.”
He noted, “To give you an example, we thought there would be minor work on the historic building located next to the Old Capitol, built in 1830. The moment they stated the work, they found a whole lot of other issues, so an historic building will take significantly longer.”
The same holds true on the current Capitol Dome project. “The Finance Cabinet learned there is only one group in the world that can do the tiles in the way historic rules and regulations require, and many materials are on backorder.”
Beshear added, legislative leadership is aware of the issues being faced in the project.