JEFFERSON CITY — A $755 million plan to renovate Missouri’s century-old Capitol building hit another snag Thursday, raising questions about whether the project will move forward.
Members of the Missouri State Capitol Commission, which oversees the seat of state government, pushed back against a recommendation by Gov. Mike Parson’s administration to add a new layer of bureaucracy to a plan that has been in the works for more than a decade.
Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, who sits on the commission, called a proposal to hire a consultant to assist with the project a “red herring†that will delay the work.
Another commission member, Dana Rademan Miller, who is the chief clerk of the House, said the renovation work needs to get underway as soon as possible.
People are also reading…
“I feel like we’ve been down this road. This is not a new conversation,†Miller said. “This feels like we’re going to do the same thing over again.â€
At issue is a recommendation by the governor’s Office of Administration to hire a consultant to review the renovation plans before the commission hires a construction manager.
Caroline Coulter, deputy counsel for OA, said the absence of a set budget and a final design for the renovations create a potential conflict if the project is handed directly to a construction manager.
She said a consultant could be hired and brought up to speed on the project within the next six months.
The proposal marked the second time Parson’s agency has erected a roadblock to getting the project underway. Last year, the administration signaled it wanted to use some of the money earmarked for the Capitol project to buy the nearby Missouri Department of Transportation building, resulting in several months of delays.
Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, expressed skepticism that the commission needs a consultant. He also said many of the commission members who have put the project on a path to completion for the past eight years will be leaving at year’s end because of term limits.
“We’ve been talking about this that entire time,†Smith said.
Rep. Donna Baringer, D-ºüÀêÊÓƵ, said she joined the commission to upgrade the building so it is accessible by people with disabilities.
“I am ashamed that our building is not ADA compliant,†Baringer said. “This is the people’s house and this is the people’s money. I am passionate about getting this done.â€
Plans for the century-old Capitol, which have been under discussion since 2016, include the removal of parking in the Capitol basement and the replacement of the current parking structure used by the Senate with additional spaces for both the executive branch and the general public.
The building would gain an estimated 100,000 square feet of space for lawmakers by extending the basement south toward High Street, which is Jefferson City’s main downtown street.
There also could be an underground visitor center on the north side of the Capitol that could be the entry point for the estimated 450,000 people who visit the building annually.
The plan also would do away with a 1970s-era change that placed some members of the House into cramped mezzanines on the first and second floors.
The governor’s office on the second floor also would be extended to the first floor with an interior elevator, eliminating the need for office workers to walk into the public corridor to get to another office in the suite.
The commission is slated to meet next week, where a decision on moving forward could be made.
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who sits on the panel, urged members to make a decision when the commission meets again next week.
“We should be able to figure out a way to move forward,†said Kehoe, who is a candidate for governor.
Ken Zellers, Parson’s point man at the Office of Administration, said, “I think we are all after the same thing. We want to get the best deal for the state.â€