Commission staff propose Fourth Floor revitalization after uncovering hidden north stair; vote expected next meeting

Commission staff outlined a plan to revitalize the Michigan State Capitol’s Fourth Floor, discussed a 100‑year portrait-placement strategy and presented evidence that a hidden section of the north staircase remains intact behind a boxed-in wall. Staff requested no vote at this meeting but said they will seek commission approval at the next meeting after providing cost estimates and further details.

Why it matters: The Fourth Floor houses portraits and committee rooms and has been altered several times since the 19th century. Reopening historic fabric and formalizing portrait placement will affect visitor interpretation, circulation and preservation strategy for important public spaces.

Barb Camuto, speaking to the commission about the portrait plan and Fourth Floor conditions, said staff “feel we have about 18 locations for permanent, places for our larger, what we call monumental size portraits,” and discussed a packet in commissioners’ folders with detailed placement recommendations. Camuto said the plan aims to keep portraits in public view and avoid storage in inaccessible backrooms.

Rob Blackshaw described ongoing decorative-paint repairs and a broader “revitalization project” for the Fourth Floor, calling the space “underutilized” and saying staff want to make it more welcoming with coordinated decorative schemes and seating.

Historic-research findings and an on-site inspection revealed a boxed-in narrow staircase behind wainscot on the north side. Presenter Brian Barrick traced the stair’s history: original 1870s plans showed branching stairways and an 1900 engineered bridge that once connected the elevator landing to the West Wing. Barrick said investigators who opened an access panel “found an intact narrow staircase” and noted surviving beams marked Carnegie Steel and later Bethlehem Steel consistent with construction and remodel dates from 1900 and the 1920s.

Staff said the boxed-in stair was likely covered over across several remodeling phases (notably the 1921 West Wing remodel and later 1970 overfloor work) and that partial bridging was installed historically to improve elevator access to the West Wing. Based on archival plans and physical evidence, staff propose reopening the view to restore historic circulation lines and interpretive opportunities.

No formal vote was taken on reopening the stair at this meeting. Blackshaw requested the commission consider the proposal at its next meeting and said staff already have preliminary numbers and a plan and will present them for a vote. Commissioner Hodge recommended a site walk for commissioners; the chair agreed to arrange a walk at the next meeting so members can see the discovery in person.

Ending: Staff will return with detailed cost estimates, a scope of work and a formal motion for commission consideration at the next meeting; commissioners plan a pre-meeting walk-through to view the Fourth Floor and the boxed-in stair.