Auditor’s Capitol office restored; date of public opening uncertain

The state auditor’s office in the Arkansas Capitol in Little Rock has completed a nearly half-million dollar renovation, although it likely won’t be visible to the public until at least spring.

The color scheme is simple, with off-white walls and mahogany floors. Wires that once lined doorways are covered by wooden door frames. Drop ceiling tiles were removed to reveal high ceilings.

The new look is a result of peeling back the layers of modernity that were added gradually over the years and restoring the suite, located on the second floor of the Capitol, to the way it looked 100 years ago.

“What was important was not to renovate but to restore,” state Auditor Andrea Lea said Tuesday.

Lea, a Republican, is term- limited and has two years left in office. She said the restoration is likely her last big project and part of her “Girl Scout” mentality of leaving a place better than she found it. She said the office’s new look matches the rest of the state Capitol, which was completed in 1915.

The auditor’s office has been closed to the public since March, when the first cases of covid-19 in the state were confirmed, though Arkansas residents can still access services online.

The office handles payroll and human resources for lawmakers, and also connects Arkansans with their unclaimed property. The auditor also has an office on Victory Street in Little Rock.

The project began in 2019 and was initially planned to finish in June. There were delays due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the discovery of a small amount of asbestos, Lea said.

About two-thirds of Lea’s staff are working remotely, and those working in the state Capitol office didn’t move back in until just before Thanksgiving, Lea said.

Lea said she plans to evaluate whether to reopen the office to the public after the first quarter of 2021. She said she was prioritizing making sure the office can carry out its essential functions.

The project was funded through the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, a state agency that awards grants for the management and stewardship of state-owned properties.

The total cost came to $ 405,604.18. Of the total, $42,992.18 was paid to Clements & Associates architecture firm for the project’s design and management, and $334,193 was paid to Baldwin & Shell for the renovations. Gerken Environmental was paid $28,419 for asbestos removal.

Clements & Associates, a North Little Rock-based firm, has worked on a number of other projects in the state Capitol, including a renovation of the House Chamber. The firm is also working on a separate renovation in the state treasurer’s office, which began last year.

The first phase of that project was funded by a $997,914 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Commission in May 2019. The project was approved for another grant for the second phase this past summer.

“Due to shipping and material delays, our project won’t be finished nor our office opened back up to the public until sometime in the fall of 2021,” Stacy Peterson, a spokeswoman for the treasurer’s office, said in an email.