Peek inside the Capitol as construction nears completion

Construction on the ground and basement levels of the Oregon State Capitol is nearing its final months.

Contractors expect the work to be finished in September, as part of a larger project set to end in 2026.

On the outside, parts of the building are covered in scaffolding, fences and construction equipment. Inside, noise from the construction is noticeable throughout the building, but it very occasionally impacts the daily operations of the Capitol during the legislative session, project director Jodie Jones said during a tour for media Wednesday. 

The basement, which workers refer to as “concourse level,” will house four new hearing rooms, two press rooms and a restaurant, and improved foundations will make the building earthquake-proof. The new sections of the building will have more access to natural light in hearing rooms and corridors, and there will be two courtyards on the ground level. 

The Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance and Safety project was approved during the 2016 legislative session and is currently in its last phase. The first phase replaced old plumbing and electrical systems and added new accessible stairs and exits. The second phase also increased accessibility, made seismic improvements and renovated additional mechanical and electrical systems. 

It’s a $596 million project, with the final phase accounting for most of the cost.

Built in 1938, many materials and features of the current rotunda were “not up to today’s standards,” according to Aaron Jones, a superintendent with Hoffman Construction, the contractor in charge of the project. Designers wanted to make the new structure more rigid and long-lasting, especially to hold the golden Pioneer on top, he said.

The building was recently “unlocked,” meaning the steel plates that held it in place temporarily were removed to let its foundations hold the entire weight of the building.

In case of an earthquake, “the earth can move in every direction and the building will stay in one spot,” Aaron Jones said. 

There have not been issues with staffing or construction supplies in the third phase of the project, according to Aaron Jones. “We planned for that, we identified it early on and made sure we got through the design process. I don’t think we’ve had anything that really delayed us,” he said. 

Some areas of the Capitol will also feature new artwork from immigrant, Indigenous and Black artists and other artists of color. It will be an opportunity for creators from around the state to decorate the interior of the building with art “that represents how they view the history” of Oregon, Jodie Jones said. 

The construction project will also increase accessibility and make improvements to existing elevators on both wings of the building, she said. 

It is the largest active construction project in a public building in Oregon after the Portland Airport expansion was finalized last year. 

Contact reporter Alan Cohen: [email protected].