Renovations to the Oklahoma state Capitol are in full swing.
Lawmakers approved a $120 million bond issue to repair the structure, which suffers from structural, electrical and plumbing problems. More funding is expected to be needed.
The building will be brought back to its original 1917 design, and that involves peeling back the onion and undoing years and years of renovations, he said.
Back then, historic preservation was not as important as it is now, Schmidt added.
Officials will completely remove the hazardous materials from the facility, including asbestos in adhesive on floors.
“The shocking part was how much the building was abused over time,” said Fred Schmidt of Frankfurt-Short-Bruza, an architecture, engineering and planning firm.
The rehabilitation and restoration project is expected to take about six years.