No delay in Capitol construction

Crews continue to work on the state Capitol. Tom Scheck / MPR News

There will be no delay in the remodeling of the state Capitol after the House, Senate and governor announced an agreement today on how to allocate space in the building.

The Capitol Preservation Commission signed off on a final design this morning that increases public access to conference rooms, dining rooms and bathrooms.

The design reduces the number of offices for state senators insidethe Capitol building from 39 to 4. However, nearly all senators will have offices in a newly constructed building across University Ave. from the Capitol.

Every member of the commission, including Gov. Mark Dayton, praised the agreement.

Its a big step forward for the public and the peoples building, Dayton said.

Every member of the commission voted for the plan after Dayton, DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt worked behind the scenes to agree on a floor plan that served all of them.

The truth is we would be sitting here right now approving renovations of the Capitol to permanently be a senate office building if we werent building an office building across the street, Bakk said.

Bakk said the senate leaders who have offices in the renovated Capitol will not have offices in the Senate Office Building.

Construction crews are currently working on a major overhaul of the 109 year old Capitol building. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

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No delay in Capitol construction