Capital Development Committee approves ADA upgrades to Capitol cafeteria and historic restoration of Governor's suite

The Capital Development Committee approved recommendations from the Capital Building Advisory Committee to upgrade the Capitol Cafeteria for ADA accessibility and to undertake a historic restoration of the Governor’s Office suite.

The projects, presented by Richard Lee, division director for capital assets at the Department of Personnel and Administration, are currently in design and development. Lee said the cafeteria remodel “will improve the accessibility for the public as well as the vendors that work in the space” and that construction for the cafeteria is anticipated to begin in June 2025 and finish in late fall 2025.

The cafeteria plan removes fixed booths, adds a mix of higher and lower seating with ADA‑designated tables, and brings power (including USB charging) up from the subbasement to support users’ technology. Lee said the layout will upgrade public seating, millwork, lighting and electrical to meet current codes and technology needs. He noted staff will test new equipment — including an espresso machine request — to ensure building systems are not triggered.

The Governor’s Office work is described as a historic restoration after decades of alterations. Lee said the suite was “heavily modified over the years, especially in the 1970s, when ceilings were lowered to accommodate HVAC and historic finishes were covered with materials then considered contemporary.” The scope includes removal of nonhistorical wood paneling and drop ceilings, investigative work above ceilings (including asbestos checks), recreation of decorative paint, and reconstruction of fluted pilasters and capitals where substantiated by archival material. The design team is coordinating with History Colorado and is cataloging salvageable historic elements from the Capitol sub‑basement.

Funding for both projects comes through provisions identified in Senate Bill 22,239 and Senate Bill 24,206, Lee said. He told the committee that “within the adult payments, I believe it was roughly $1,000,000 … allocated for the cafeteria and a couple million … for the Governor’s office for restoration” and that current work is on budget. Construction documents and cost verification remain underway.

Committee members asked about lighting, seating counts and IT wiring; Lee said the team is aiming to improve perceived darkness with table lighting and brighter LED options while avoiding an overly blue light spectrum, and that seating capacity will be maintained or slightly increased after booths are removed. On IT, Lee said wiring will be concealed behind kickboards rather than installing a raised floor.

Action: A committee member moved to approve the CBAC recommendations for the cafeteria and Governor’s suite. The roll call produced the following votes: Senator Henriksen — yes; Representative Lindsay — yes; Senator Pelton — no; Representative Winter — no; Senator Mullica — yes. The motion passed.

The department will complete construction documents and proceed with open bidding for general contractor selection. The committee did not specify additional reporting requirements in the meeting record; staff confirmed the projects will follow standard state procurement and preservation review steps and remain subject to final cost verification.