The state has again opened public comment on a controversial $1 billion-plus facelift of the California state Capitol following a court order.
The updated plans show the state still intends to demolish and replace the existing annex building – which housed offices for state lawmakers and the governor until they moved into a temporary space in late 2021 — with a larger glass building. The plans also still include a visitor center beneath the west side of the state Capitol and an underground parking garage on the east side.
Except to allow access to the new structures, no changes are planned for the historic west wing of the Capitol, which includes the rotunda and chambers for the Senate and Assembly.
A Sacramento appeals court ruled in December that lawmakers in charge of the project circumvented necessary public feedback on the changes, including placement of the visitor center and the design of the new annex.
The revamp of the Capitol’s accessory structures has been in the works since 2016 but has faced delays due to the pandemic and lawsuits. According to the new plans, construction will likely continue around the state Capitol until at least 2026.
Assembly member James Ramos (D-San Bernardino) and Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), who oversee the project as chairs of the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee, did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Department of General Services also declined to comment.
Dick Cowan, a former chairperson of the Historic State Capitol Commission and leading opponent of the project, said he’s disappointed the revised plans did not include analysis of alternative locations for the…
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