Visitors to the Kentucky State Capitol will notice an unusual sight, as scaffolding is encircling the Capitol Dome and will continue to do so, during the multi-year renovation and repair project currently underway.
When he announced the project earlier this year, Gov. Andy Beshear explained its scope, “To replace the 80-year-old terra cotta tiles, to install waterproofing, to make structural repairs, and remove algae and other organic material from the dome.”
He said the project is long overdue on the building, which first opened in 1910. “The structural integrity itself has come into question, meaning we can no longer wait to do it.”
The scaffolding will remain in place for about two years, according to Beshear, who called the lengthy project the right thing to do.
“It’s necessary for the safety of the people in this building that I am fully committed to,” he said. “It’s my responsibility and it’s critical to this building itself, which is of such historic significance. We’re just being asked to sacrifice a little bit and how our view will look for the next couple years, to make sure that this dome and Capitol stands for the decades to come, for the Kentuckians who come to visit, or come here to work.”
The work is being performed by a team of nationally recognized professionals, according to the governor, who have performed similar work on domes in the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia capitols, as well as the United States Supreme Court building.
Beshear credits the General Assembly for stepping up with significant funding to upgrade electrical, mechanical, and plumbing system repairs and upgrades, since the 2018 budget.
Jill Midkiff, spokesperson for the Finance and Administration Cabinet, which is overseeing the project, said the current estimated cost for the dome project is $15,711,000, although now that the scaffolding has been erected, a more extensive investigation of the dome and its structure will determine if previously unknown and costly underlying issues are identified, which could impact the cost.
“Such discoveries are not that unusual when undertaking renovations to a historic structure the magnitude of our more than 100-year-old Capitol building,” she noted, adding that at this point the cost estimate has not been revised.
A total of $26.5 million has been appropriated and approved by the General Assembly for all repairs and renovations to the State Capitol building, inside and out, according to Midkiff.
Story and Photo By: Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
