Part of Capitol renovation wrapping up; more work slated for 2021 – Enid News & Eagle

OKLAHOMA CITY Construction crews are putting finishing touches on several public-facing areas of the state Capitol ahead of the start of Februarys legislative session.

When visitors enter the Capitol in February, much of the rotunda space is slated to be open again.

A crown jewel of the area will be the 14-foot bronze state seal being crafted in Norman. It will be added to the floor and assembled in pieces because it weighs thousands of pounds, said Trait Thompson, who is overseeing the eight-year, $275 million project.

Arts officials will spend $1 million on new commissioned art that will hang in public spaces. The historic artwork also will be reinstalled later in 2021.

Weve got lots of brand-new wall space, he said.

The rotunda renovations also include new interior lighting on the dome and a new paint scheme that highlights the contours of the ceiling.

Thompson said a new multi-purpose meeting room will be available for visiting groups and dignitaries to lease for their legislative days. The room can house up to 200 people in non-COVID times and has buffet space for food and other materials, he said.

The rotundas are very pretty, but theyre not very functional for meetings, he said.

Crews are also finishing the Capitols so-called Blue Room, typically used by the governor for ceremonial purposes and press conferences. The room features new audio, HVAC, LED lighting and a sprinkler system.

An artist hand-painted the ceiling, using a technique much like Michelangelo did when painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

We went for a little more of a sophisticated look in here, Thompson said.

Crews also renovated several legislative committee rooms. They knocked out a wall to create more space in the old 432A House meeting room. That increased capacity from about 67 to 99. The room now includes new audio and video packages with the capability to live-stream meetings for those who cant attend.

When this project was first envisioned, no one knew about pandemics, said Paul Haley, who soon will take over renovation oversight when Thompson leaves for a new job. The timing was very fortunate.

All renovated committee rooms will feature long conference tables with the required 3-foot clearance around to allow those with disabilities to access the space.

Two other committee rooms located off the rotunda both feature a switch that can turn the glass walls opaque.

Thompson said crews also were wrapping up the first stage of renovations to the state House and Senate legislative chambers.

In the House chamber, crews restored the stained glass ceilings, repaired all plaster and repainted the ceiling. In both chambers, the glass press galleries were removed.

In 2021, construction crews will renovate the old Lieutenant Governors Office on the second floor by converting it back to a historic corridor. That corridor will house the Hall of Governors, which features busts of previous Oklahoma governors.

The Betty Price Art Gallery will be relocated from the first floor to the second. It will reopen in the location that currently houses the gubernatorial busts, Thompson said.

A museum also will be completed on the ground floor and will provide information about the century-old building and an explanation about the states three branches of government.

Construction crews will complete final renovations on the two legislative chambers.

Thompson said the overhaul aims to preserve the building in a historically appropriate yet functional manner. It is slated to be completed by the start of session in 2022. Thats several months ahead of the initial December 2022 target, he said.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

More here:
Part of Capitol renovation wrapping up; more work slated for 2021 - Enid News & Eagle