(LEX 18) — Kentucky lawmakers have officially moved out of the 115-year-old Capitol building as it undergoes a major renovation that will take several years to complete. The Senate and House will now conduct business in a newly constructed temporary building located in the Capitol parking lot.
"It's just basic rooms because we didn't want to spend a lot of money," Senate President Robert Stivers said as he gave reporters a tour around the new facility.
The temporary structure is a stark contrast to the historic Capitol's grandeur, trading detailed marble and granite for simple painted drywall. During a tour of the new facility, the smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air.
"You're basically seeing the building. You're seeing it. Just big enough to hold the chambers," Stivers said.
Perhaps the most significant change is the lack of public access space in the temporary building. Unlike the Capitol with its galleries, the new structure has no second floor and no dedicated areas for public observation.
"We could've built a gallery but you think about expensive, this is already expensive," Stivers said.
Instead, lawmakers plan to accommodate public access through technology and alternative spaces in the Capitol Annex.
"We've done streaming. We're going to have rooms set up where the media will have access here.
The public will be in rooms - I think the two larger rooms at the far side [of the annex] so they can see everything as it is live streamed. But we would've had to spend on a temporary structure millions and millions more if we would've put galleries in here," Stivers said.
The temporary facility will serve as the home for Kentucky's legislature until renovations on the historic Capitol building are completed.
