Minnesota House committee approves plans for $500M renovation for the State Office Building

MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minnesota House committee on Wednesday approved plans for a nearly $500 million renovation to the State Office Building that faces ailing infrastructure, accessibility issues and security vulnerabilities that pose a safety risk.  

The vote comes just days after facilities staff and security at the capitol complex warned of the dire needs of the 90-year-old building they say is in disrepair. They asked lawmakers on the Minnesota House Rules and Legislative Administration Monday to greenlight the upgrades. 

"We can either be open and unsafe, we can be closed and inaccessible, or we can expand and approve our building and serve those dual missions," said Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL Golden Valley, during the Wednesday meeting. "That's what this proposal represents." 

The half-a-billion-dollar project will exceed the $310 million it cost to renovate the State Capitol, which was completed in 2017. The plans for the State Office Building—the workspace for all House members, their staff, the secretary of state's office and more—also includes expansion of the footprint beyond its 290,100 square feet.  

Construction of the Senate Building cost $90 million six years ago and was marked by political fights, as Republicans sharply criticized the project. Some GOP members pushed back on the proposed price tag. 

"We are all elected officials who have election certificates, who are stewards of tax dollars," said Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown. "Spending this kind of money on a building for ourselves is something I would describe as egregious." 

Construction could start in summer of next year after the legislative session ends, Winkler said on Monday. The people who work in the building would be displaced for at least one session.  

Lawmakers come back to St. Paul on Jan 3.