Behind the scenes: Illinois Capitol renovations moving along steadily

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — If you work in or nearby the Illinois Capitol, you have probably wondered what is going on behind the scenes of the massive $300 million renovation project.

The Architect of the Capitol brought political reporters through the construction zone Wednesday afternoon to show the latest work done on the North end of the building, including the Illinois Senate chamber on the third floor.

Illinois Capitol Renovation — Construction crews work on the new entrance to the North end of the Illinois Capitol on June 14, 2023.

Andrea Aggertt said this project will help modernize the Capitol to address ADA compliance, security, and preservation of the historic property.

"We are going to be able to see things that the people who originally walked on the floors of this building saw," Aggertt said. "A lot of modifications have been done over the years, but it's our goal to return it back to that original design, that original architecture, that original craftsmanship that we saw."

The first two phases of the project were combined due to delays during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Aggertt said they should be finished in the coming months.

Another major focus is the underground parking garage that is set to open for lawmakers and staff this November. People driving by the Capitol Complex may have noticed that construction crews moved the crane on Spring Street. State employees with parking spots across Monroe Street had used a pedestrian walkway on Spring Street for over a year.

Aggertt stressed that the pedestrian walkway will be closed until further notice it will not be safe for people to travel in between the North Wing and underground tunnel construction sites. She said people may want to leave earlier to make it to their office on time for work.

"There's a shuttle service that will safely bring employees that park in those North lots to the Stratton and the south dock of the Capitol," Aggertt explained. "So, those just run in the early morning and the evening hours. Safety is our number one priority around here, and we want to make sure that we can get people safely to the place that they work every day."

Construction workers seen in the basement of the North wing of the Illinois Capitol on June 14, 2023.

The architect also said that lawmakers, staff, and visitors will be able to enjoy an underground conference center in the future. There are plans for a cafe and lounge area in the conference center as well.

Aggertt explained senators should be able to return to their chamber and original offices in the North wing of the building in January 2025.

"For the next nine to ten months preceding that, we will return spaces back slowly," Aggertt said. "So about every three months, we will open the new entrance, we'll open the tunnels, we'll open up the underground conference center."

She also shared that there will be more green space around the Capitol Complex once the new entrance is finished. Aggertt also addressed rumors that the state could use funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital spending plan to tear down the William G. Stratton office building.

While the architect did not provide specific details or a timeline for that demolition, Aggertt said there will be even more room for green space once the Stratton building is removed sometime in the future.