A new Statehouse and related projects will cost about $400 million
Alabama lawmakers are shown architectural drawings of what a new Alabama Statehouse will look like when it is complete in 2027 during a meeting of the Alabama Legislative Council in Montgomery, Ala. on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The project also includes a new parking deck and a green space where the current building is located.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The construction of a new Alabama Statehouse, now underway in Montgomery, and related projects such as a parking deck and new green space will cost about $400 million, a price tag that matches initial projections, lawmakers were told Wednesday.
The Alabama Legislative Council, a 20-member panel comprised of legislative leaders and their appointees, approved the construction of the new Statehouse last year. The panel was given an update on the project on Wednesday.
Othni J. Lathram, director of the Legislative Services Agency, told lawmakers that construction of the new Statehouse building will cost about $300 million to $325 million. The related projects, which include a parking deck, a green space, a new voting system, the demolition of the old building and drainage improvements, will add another $75 million to $100 million to the project’s cost.
Lathram said the cost estimates are “on track” with initial projections.
“I think our goal was to have a $400 million total budget on the entire project and we’re still trending very much in that direction,” Lathram said.
Lathram said the goal is to have lawmakers in the new building for the 2027 organizational session.
The Retirement Systems of Alabama, which has built several office buildings in downtown Montgomery that other public entities use, oversees the design and construction. The new Statehouse will be sold or leased to the Alabama Legislature.
The new Statehouse is currently under construction behind the current building. The old building will be demolished and replaced with a park-like area. A parking deck will be built in a parking lot beside the current Statehouse.
Lawmakers once met at the Alabama State Capitol, which also houses the governor’s office. But they moved into the current building in 1985 when the Capitol underwent renovations. Legislators opted not to return to the Capitol when the renovations were complete.
A ban on feeding pigeons ruffles lots of feathers in Mumbai
The pigeon population has exploded — a result of people feeding the birds. For some it's a holy duty and a way to connect to nature. Critics point to health risks tied to exposure to pigeon droppings.
‘Rosemead’ tells a tragic — and true — story
The new movie stars Lucy Liu as an ailing mother to Joe, played by Lawrence Shou as a teenager facing mental illness in his feature debut role.
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic shrouds: A Maine library brings maps to life
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic funeral shrouds, how the Osher Map Library in Maine shows people that maps aren't just for navigation — but windows into history, culture, and how we see the world.
Benin’s interior minister says a coup announced earlier has been foiled
Earlier, a group of soldiers had appeared on Benin 's state TV Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.
A fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state kills at least 25, officials say
At least 25 people, including tourists, were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India's Goa state, the state's chief minister said Sunday.
National parks fee-free calendar drops MLK Day, Juneteenth and adds Trump’s birthday
The Trump administration, which has railed against what it describes as "woke" policies, removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from next year's list of fare-exempt days for visitors at dozens of national parks.
