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The
plan briefed to The Center Square and other members of the media
Tuesday includes a new entrance on the north end of the Capitol
building. The area will be Americans with Disabilities Act
accessible and have enhanced flow to screen visitors, including
when busloads of people can arrive.
Plans also create more underground parking for blocks south of
the complex with connected tunnels. An underground conference
space with a skylight looking up to the Capitol is also in the
works.
Lawmaker offices will be displaced, as will the Senate chambers.
Offices for journalists covering the state Capitol will also be
moved, but not until after the spring session, which starts Jan.
4 and wraps up April 8.
The total project will take years to complete, with funding
coming from the Rebuild Illinois capital construction plan
enacted in 2019. That law doubled the state’s gas tax, pegged
yearly increases to inflation and increased other driving fees.
There’s also revenue from gambling expansion to pay for projects
around the state.
A list of the four-phased plan from the architect shows a total
cost of $224.3 million, but the budget is around $300 million,
officials said. The final phase will be complete in January
2025.
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