Conn.’s State Capitol repairs could could cost $10 million

Hartford — The final few weeks of the legislative session isn’t an optimal time for elevators, escalators and the moving floor between the State Capitol and adjacent Legislative Office to break down, but that is what has happened as the equipment recently reached its lifetime, and the public and lawmakers gingerly navigate the historic halls.

The estimated price tag might exceed $10 million.

James Tamburro, the executive director of the Office of Legislative Management, which administrates the 14-acre campus, said that several elevators, escalators and one of the two moving floors between the Capitol and Legislative Office Building are currently broken.

“As with any almost-40year-old building, our elevators, escalators and travelator are all approaching their end of life,” Tamburro said. “Some sooner than others. We have our vendor constantly trying to keep up with the repairs but as you have noticed, not very successfully. We are working with a consultant to determine the cost to fix all of them.”

He said that his office last month asked for $8 million for repairs in the capital budget that would take effect on July 1.

Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chairwoman of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, who earlier in the session used a scooter to elevate a leg while recovering from an injury, said that the Capitol complex is tough enough to get around even without the broken equipment. One of the out-of-service elevators is in the garage of the Legislative Office Building, where most of the public parks to participate in hearings and meetings with lawmakers.

Osten noted that the escalators up into the Capitol’s first floor and back down are too-narrow for federal Americans with Disability Act requirements. She said that the total price tag is about $10 million, possibly more, with the garage elevator.

“If someone has ADA issues, it’s almost impossible to get around right now,” said Osten, who is also a member of the advisory State Capitol Preservation and Restoration Commission.