Capitol’s update options studied

BOISE – Idaho officials Tuesday introduced three proposals to expand underground office and meeting space in the Statehouse in Boise.

According to resolutions released in the House State Affairs Committee, excavation work, as well as about $74 million worth of renovations on the existing 1905-era structure, wouldn’t begin until April 2007.

That’s seven months later than the Sept. 1 date Gov. Dirk Kempthorne called for in his Jan. 9 State of the State speech.

Carl Bianchi, head of state legislative services, introduced the proposals as part of a long-delayed effort to update Idaho’s Capitol, which has no fire protection, no emergency exits and elevators too small to hold a gurney in a medical emergency.

An economic downturn in 2002 forced Idaho to put off what was then estimated to be a $64 million renovation project, but Kempthorne is pressuring lawmakers to address the issue as quickly as possible.

“Construction costs continue to escalate, and there’s no sign it’s going to abate,” said Mike Journee, the governor’s press secretary. “An additional six or seven months of waiting to move forward with this project is going to continue to make those costs higher. The governor would like to continue having a discussion with the Legislature about moving forward as soon as we can.”

The state needs about 50,000 square feet in additional meeting space, based on current estimates, Bianchi said.

Breaking ground after the 2007 Legislature adjourns also would limit the number of sessions that must be conducted outside the Statehouse during construction to just two: in 2008 and 2009, Bianchi said.

Idaho’s lawmakers would meet across the street in the old Ada County Courthouse before returning to the Statehouse in 2010 after 30 months of construction.

Kempthorne and lawmakers last year set aside tobacco tax money for the Statehouse revamp.

That should raise about $30 million toward the project in fiscal year 2007, officials said, allowing the state to pay for the project by selling bonds or even using some cash, without forcing Idaho to draw money from its general fund.