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| Renovation of the Virginia Capitol will be completed late next year. | |||
Capitol Square renovations will preserve history, provide modern office space
Four buildings in Capitol Square in Richmond – including the Thomas Jefferson-designed Capitol – will have been restored and renovated by the time Virginia’s 400th anniversary observances begin in 2007. The three other buildings include the Old State Library and Archives, as well as the Finance and Washington buildings. The 2003 Capitol Square Preservation Act provided $190 million for the improvements. The renovations are being overseen by the Virginia Department of General Services
The Old State Library and Archives building, located just north of the Capitol, is the first building to be renovated and completed. Built in 1939 as one of 34,000 Public Works Administration projects, it was originally designed in an art deco motif. This $32 million renovation included updating office building systems; repairing the exterior part of the masonry; installing new elevators, windows and a roof; waterproofing; installing fire alarms and sprinkler systems; and making it handicap accessible. The building will serve as the temporary home for the General Assembly during the 2006 session. Two former grand reading rooms have been converted into temporary House and Senate Chambers.
Located on the east side of the Capitol with its neo-classical design, the Finance Building is the first structure in Capitol Square to be renovated under the Public-Private Education and Infrastructure Act of 2002. The act encourages innovative approaches to financing construction and renovations. It also brings private sector expertise to public projects. Built after the Civil War in 1895, the building has been described as a symbol of Reconstruction for Virginia. The Finance Building’s renovation and restoration includes re-pointing of brick, repairing cornices along the rampart walls, and preserving elements of the building such as the main lobby grand staircase, handmade mosaic tiles and wood windows.
Once 72,000 square feet, the Finance Building will also have a 51,000-square-foot addition constructed on its east side facing Governor Street. The exterior of the addition is made of precast concrete. More than 220 of the buff-colored precast pieces are designed to blend well with the exterior of the existing structure. Some of the pieces weigh more than 30,000 pounds, equivalent to the weight of 10 full-size sedans. Once the renovation and construction is completed this fall, the $26 million project will provide office space for the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The building also will provide permanent office space for the occupants of the Washington Building. The Washington Building, built in 1923, will undergo an interior renovation beginning this fall with completion in late 2006.
The Capitol’s renovation is also in full gear. The exterior renovation, which included removing the numerous layers of stucco and repairing brickwork, began in the spring of 2004 and is continuing. The interior renovation began last month with the removal of light fixtures, doors/doorknobs, and marble tiles. These will be restored and brought back as part of the restoration.
The excavation of the south lawn of the Capitol was completed in May. The dirt that once comprised the Capitol’s south lawn has been removed and is being temporarily stored elsewhere until it can be put back at the conclusion of the renovation. With the massive excavation completed, construction of a 27,000 square-foot underground extension is beginning. The extension will have an entrance at 10th and Bank Streets and will have a visitor’s center, security screening area, multi-purpose meeting rooms, café, and administrative office space. More than 100,000 people visit the Capitol each year and that number is expected to increase.
If you would like to follow the progress of the Capitol Square work log on to www.DGS.virginia.gov and click on Capitol Square Improvements. For more information specifically about the Capitol go to www.VirginiaCapitol.gov.
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