JLMC advances Statehouse west entry from schematic design to design development

The Joint Legislative Management Committee voted on May 29, 2025, to advance the Statehouse west entry project from schematic design into design development and requested a progress update at the committee’s next adjourned session.

Committee members said the project — intended to create a secure, accessible public entry on the west side of the Statehouse and separate public flow from deliveries — has schematic drawings finished and that funds for both schematic design and design development have already been allocated. Committee members also discussed site changes, delivery and parking impacts, elevator refurbishment and the project’s estimated cost.

The schematic designs presented show a circular public entry separated from a rectilinear delivery path, an enclosed connection into the existing courtyard and a direct route to the Lincoln Corridor. The design team said the entry is intended to be “contextual” with the historic Statehouse: appropriate in scale and materials but not made to look original to the historic fabric.

“We want it to be appropriate, but we don't want anyone to mistake that this is part of the historic construction,” said Sean Brennan of Freeman French Freeman, describing the design approach. Brennan said public access, safety and security were primary goals and that the design aims to provide clear wayfinding, screening and direct access to elevators, restrooms and information for visitors.

Committee members pressed the design team on several practical matters. Members asked whether the site can accommodate delivery trucks and whether the addition could be built to allow a future second floor. The design team said scheduling deliveries and separating delivery and public circulation should mitigate conflicts, and that the current schematic includes a structural line item to accommodate a future vertical expansion but that a second story is not included in the present design or in the line-item cost estimate.

On cost, a committee member referenced a roughly “$17-plus million” figure. The design team clarified that the figure did not include a built second floor and that cost estimates at schematic stage are per-square-foot approximations rather than contractor takeoffs; site-specific pricing and final material selections will be developed in design development.

The committee also discussed building systems: the project will include refurbishment of an existing elevator (currently a service elevator) to modernize access and make it the primary vertical circulation serving the new entry. The team said some existing stairs and mezzanine elements will be removed or reworked to meet code, and that a dedicated service exit is required for code compliance.

Committee members raised parking impacts; the design team acknowledged the site is narrow and that some parking spaces will likely be lost as the site plan is developed. The team said the site work and any required parking reconfiguration are included in the funded scope for design development.

A motion to advance the project into the next design phase and to request a report at the committee’s next adjourned session was made and put to a roll call vote. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Representative Dolan, Representative Tooth, Representative Wood, Senator Lyons, Representative Inman, Speaker Kowinski and Senator Baruch; the motion was approved.

Next steps: with the committee’s approval, the project team will enter design development to refine materials, finalize the site plan, complete code and structural design work, develop a contractor-style cost estimate and return to the JLMC with an update at the requested adjourned session.