Retirement Systems of Alabama's CEO David Bronner once aimed to complete the construction of the new Alabama State House by the end of 2025. However, due to various factors, this seems unlikely now. Bronner revealed that the RSA had to re-bid a portion of the project, resulting in a delay of approximately four to six months. Despite this setback, he remains confident that the building will be ready for use by the 2027 session, which legislative leaders have set as their target.

Quarterly Update on the State House Project

At Tuesday's quarterly meeting of the Employees' Retirement System Board of Control, Bronner provided an update on the new State House. The RSA, which owns multiple properties across downtown Montgomery and the state, is undertaking the construction and will lease it to the Legislature. Originally, Bronner's goal was to finish by 2025, but now it is expected to extend into 2026, with the first four to six months likely being the delay period.The new building is being constructed on the east side of the current State House, a 60-year-old retrofitted building that originally served the Alabama Highway Department. Currently, the project is on track to stay within an estimated cost of around $325 million. In the early stages, portions such as the electrical and mechanical systems came in under budget. However, Bronner cautioned that unexpected factors could affect the cost. He mentioned President-elect Donald Trump's policy proposal of installing tariffs, which could have an impact on everyone's finances. "A lot of crazy things can happen," he said. "We hope to stay within the budget, I'll put it that way."The State House project has been in the planning stage for several years and was discussed even before that. Since 1985, the Legislature has been using the retrofitted building for its meeting chambers and offices. Problems with the current building include limited public access space, poor accessibility for disabled individuals, and issues related to flooding and mold. An assessment by an engineering firm in March 2020 found that the eight-story, 315,000 square foot building required $51 million in repairs, renovations, and replacements over a 10-year period.In 2022, the Legislative Council directed senior legislative staff officials to explore the idea of a new State House and hold discussions with the RSA. The RSA will lease the building to the Legislature under a contract that guarantees an 8% return on its investment. A second phase of the project will involve demolishing the existing State House and developing a park area on the site, along with a pavilion and a parking deck. The preliminary estimate for this phase is about $100 million. Initially, Bronner stated that the RSA would not be involved in the second phase, but he announced on Tuesday that the RSA will build the parking deck.Bill Wallace of Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the lead architect, presented lawmakers with a slide presentation in May, showcasing images of the new building. The design features six columns and a dome to harmonize with the other buildings in the Capitol complex. The slides also displayed the floor-by-floor layout, including the meeting chambers for the House and Senate on the fifth level and the public galleries on the sixth.Click here to view the images.