Subcommittee moves three Capitol renovation packages toward public bidding after acoustics review

Designers and staff told the Capitol Interpretive Exhibits and Wayfinding Subcommittee that construction documents for three distinct renovation packages at the state Capitol are complete and recommended putting all three out to bid at the same time to create contractor efficiencies.

At a meeting of the subcommittee, Zach, the project designer, reviewed the project charter and a timeline of work dating to 2023 and said the team has reached 100% construction documents. He outlined three packages: Package 1 (major maintenance with specialized historic work such as fan-coil modifications, plaster and masonry repairs and ornamental metal replicas); Package 2 (an expanded broadcast studio and separate control room in the Herschler Building); and Package 3 (acoustic improvements inside the Capitol, including ceiling and wall treatments and speaker relocation).

"Our project charter first and foremost is not doing any harm to your beautiful historic capital," Zach said, emphasizing reversible and minimally invasive approaches for plaster and finish work.

Committee members questioned preservation oversight and practicality. Zach said the State Historic Preservation Office had reviewed the documents and did not raise substantive objections. He described the acoustic material as crushed-glass acoustic board with a plaster finish, installed over short furring strips to allow future removal with minimal patching.

Members discussed gallery guardrails and sight lines. Committee members raised safety and comfort concerns about replacing existing glass with a lower bronze railing. Zach recommended mockups and in-place tape tests so members could assess sight lines and perceived safety before finalizing details.

Wendy, a committee staff lead, outlined the next administrative steps: staff will polish a single consolidated bid package and prepare a letter from the committee co-chairs recommending the three packages go to public procurement and that the draft be shared with the State Building Commission and the legislative Management Council for required approvals.

The subcommittee did not take a formal vote at the meeting but directed staff to prepare communications and to include mockups for railing options in bid documents where appropriate. The committee indicated it supports simultaneous advertisement to allow prime contractors and specialty subcontractors to bid multiple packages.

What’s next: staff will finalize the procurement packages and circulate a co-chairs’ recommendation to the State Building Commission and Management Council; the committee will return to review mockups and sequencing during future meetings.