The head of the agency building Alabama’s new Statehouse said he expects the project to cost up to $325 million.
Speaking at a meeting of the Teachers’ Retirement System Board of Control, Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner said Tuesday construction costs have been approved for up to $350 million, but he wants to keep it under that amount.
“We’re trying to get it right around the $300 to $325 (million) number, but my point was I can’t control Mother Nature,” Bronner told reporters after the meeting.
The building will replace the current Statehouse, the former Highway Department building, which has been occupied by the Alabama Legislature since 1986. The structure faces mold and flooding issues and has about $100 million in deferred maintenance costs. The building has also been criticized for not being accessible to the public; the structure lacks a central gallery, and hallways in the building are often crowded with lobbyists and spectators.
“If the Highway Department moves out of the building because it’s so bad, that should tell you something,” Bronner said after the meeting.