A $50 million renovation and restoration project for the Illinois Capitol building is nearly complete. But are all the improvements justified given the state’s fiscal woes? Carol Marin and her guests have analysis. Joining Carol are Laurence Msall, president of The Civic Federation, and Steve Brown, spokesperson for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Read the original 2011 project description and the historical decisions document from the Office of the Architect of the Capitol.
According to Capitol architect J. Richard Alsop, the only substantial differences between the 2011 document and what was constructed are:
- No catering kitchen
- Length of construction which is 2 years
- Removal of the mezzanine