State Capitol Building

[sethsrott]

The Senate will renovate a large conference room on the fifth floor, complete with a catering area and offices.

The renovated conference room will be able to accommodate all 48 senators, if needed. It will also be equipped so an audio and video feed can be provided on the Internet. It is expected to have the capability for electronic voting.

Offices on the second and third floors also will be renovated.

The Senate is expected to spend between $2.5 million and $3 million and have the projects completed by December, said Randy Dowell, Senate chief of staff.

Paul Meyer, former Capitol architect, said the Senate renovations are not expected to conflict with another project that will use $120 million to address electrical, structural and plumbing problems at the Capitol.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.as...7_OKLAHO133078

[Larry OKC]

As a lifelong Rep I can't disagree with this more...just a horrible PR move on the Repub leadership part of both houses. If they want it so bad, maybe they should have a fundraiser from their constituents and see if they want their Rep or Sen to have fancy new offices...or maybe pay for the renovations themselves, either from their own pocketbooks or leftover campaign funds 9if that is legal).

[hoya]

As a lifelong Rep I can't disagree with this more...just a horrible PR move on the Repub leadership part of both houses. If they want it so bad, maybe they should have a fundraiser from their constituents and see if they want their Rep or Sen to have fancy new offices...or maybe pay for the renovations themselves, either from their own pocketbooks or leftover campaign funds 9if that is legal).

As a lifelong Republican I will disagree with you. The government has to spend a certain amount of money to operate effectively. It doesn't do us any favors to have elected officials sitting in 1970s furniture with paint peeling off the walls of their offices and ceiling tiles falling in. There is no indication that the money spent here is wasteful, or that any of the renovations are done for opulence. Public buildings should be well-maintained. Public offices should be renovated with similar frequency to private offices. I shouldn't walk into my State Senator's office and say "geez, what a dump."

[onthestrip]

As a lifelong Republican I will disagree with you. The government has to spend a certain amount of money to operate effectively. It doesn't do us any favors to have elected officials sitting in 1970s furniture with paint peeling off the walls of their offices and ceiling tiles falling in. There is no indication that the money spent here is wasteful, or that any of the renovations are done for opulence. Public buildings should be well-maintained. Public offices should be renovated with similar frequency to private offices. I shouldn't walk into my State Senator's office and say "geez, what a dump."

If I had more time Id search for the Oklahoman article that had some Senators stating how this is a complete waste and the offices and areas that are slated for remodel aren't even used much. Couple that with the fact that the entire capitol building needs remodeling you'd think it would be prudent to wait on that plan first before doing some office construction first.

[Larry OKC]

hoyasooner: I am not saying they souldn't maintain the building, but I think this particular project is the wrong one at the wrong time...again, a bad PR move on their part. I agree with what onthestrip said too...let the restoration plan come together and incorporate this into that. I see nothing wrong with utilizing what you have if it is in good repair (even 1970s furniture). To me that is what part of being a Conservative is, not spending other peoples money without a care. There is a difference between needs and wants. INO, this falls under the wants category. Again, if they want fancy up-to-date stylish digs, thats fine. Pay for it themselves or have their constituents do so. Or have a private fundraising thing like they did with the Friends of the Mansion.

While it may not conflict with the other long term renovations per se, I can certainly see where they might have to rip something out to do those renovations later. Reminds me a bit of the City and MAPS 3/Project 180 mess.

[Just the facts]

Personally, I think public buildings should reflect the collective character of the people. Public building should inspire us and make us proud of our city, state, and country. Sadly, many people aren't proud of our government and the deteriorating public buildings reflect that. There is no better manifestation of that than our public schools where we went from Central High to portable classrooms in 40 years (but we spare no expense on road construction).

[Plutonic Panda]

Personally, I think public buildings should reflect the collective character of the people. Public building should inspire us and make us proud of our city, state, and country. Sadly, many people aren't proud of our government and the deteriorating public buildings reflect that. There is no better manifestation of that than our public schools where we went from Central High to portable classrooms in 40 years (but we spare no expense on road construction).

I think in the grand scheme of things, we actually are cheap when we build roads, we just build too many and instead of building one really nice road, we end up building 10 crappy roads.

[Larry OKC]

JTF: I agree. I don't want anyone to think that the State shouldn't maintain it's property but it also needs to be fiscally responsible when doing so. I think the State should pay for the essential public areas of its public buildings. Even provide "standard" office spaces for its Legislators. The standards desks, chairs and various office equipment needed to function in the most efficient, cost effective manner etc. Then if a legislator or any other elected official wants something above and beyond what is provided or something other than the options available from say a warehouse that i am sure exists of excess furniture etc, they pay for those improvements themselves.

Just seem they have their priorities out of whack. While it is great to have the latest audio & video etc, when you have plumbing, sewer, heat & air, electrical issues etc...what good does it do to have catering facilities and private bathrooms etc if the plumbing it is tied into is bad? Just do things in the correct order.

Also, not sure what they mean by "have the capability for electronic voting". The members need to be present in the Chamber to vote. They shouldn't be permitted to have someone else vote for them or to vote remotely (unless there is some high-tech thumb print or retinal scanner that identifies it is really them casting the vote.

[sethsrott]

Also, not sure what they mean by "have the capability for electronic voting". The members need to be present in the Chamber to vote. They shouldn't be permitted to have someone else vote for them or to vote remotely (unless there is some high-tech thumb print or retinal scanner that identifies it is really them casting the vote.

According to Senate Rules a member must be present in the Chamber or Committee Meeting in order to case a vote and no member may vote on behalf of another member who is not present in the chamber (a.k.a. yelling 'Senator Jones vote 'yea' for me would ya?'). Currently in Committee the members vote by a voice vote and a committee staff member records those votes on a computer to generate the Committee Report. This would had efficiency to the Senate Committee process.

[Larry OKC]

^^^
Gotchya...thanks for the info...there was some issue this past session when someone voted for someone else (can't recall which house it was)...

[Plutonic Panda]

Found this from Oklahoma Nation's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/OklahomaFan...51639759579191

OKLAHOMA CITY – A restoration worker at the State Capitol recently made quite the discovery while remodeling.
A hidden attic above the fifth floor was found with some original lighting dating back to the 1900s.
Fine details are put into historic structures, like Oklahoma’s Capitol building, and there’s more to architecture than what meets the eye.

Read more here:Antiques found in hidden attic at State Capitol | KFOR.com

[Larry OKC]

^^^
Kewl...thanks for posting that...

[sethsrott]

Photo of the original fixtures

[sethsrott]

Historic lighting fixture to be delivered to state Senate

Following recent media coverage of the discovery of historic artifacts during the restoration of a large conference room on the fifth floor of the state Capitol, one Oklahoman who saw the reports recognized they were in possession of one of the original floor lamps from the Senate Chamber.

This afternoon at 1 p.m. they will deliver the nearly one hundred year-old fixture to the state Capitol, donating the extraordinary piece to the state Senate.

[UnFrSaKn]

Aerial Oklahoma Inc |

[kevinpate]

That's a lot of watermarks trying to blur up very nice photos.

[Urbanized]

Shakespeare got to get paid, son.

[Plutonic Panda]

http://newsok.com/leaking-oklahoma-c...rticle/3859938

[UnFrSaKn]

Insight Visual Media | Oklahoma based graphic design, web development, photography and video production company

[CuatrodeMayo]

It's such an elegant building. It's a shame it is surrounded by parking lots and a quasi-freeway.

[BG918]

It's such an elegant building. It's a shame it is surrounded by parking lots and a quasi-freeway.

Yep. Too bad it wasn't originally built closer to downtown at the terminus of a major street.

[Praedura]

The other pic from IVM is good too:



Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9623730&type=1

[ljbab728]

If only the Capitol looked as good close up as it does there.

[OKCisOK4me]

If only the Cotter Tower had some other buddies around it... It's all by its lonesome from that angle...

[Praedura]

If only the Cotter Tower had some other buddies around it... It's all by its lonesome from that angle...

We need something like... 'Chia Instant Skyline'.

Just pick up a pack, spread the thick goop generously all over downtown in the surface parking lots and other empty spots.
Sprinkle the little tower seeds all about, and then water thoroughly.
In a few days... POP...POP, POP..., POP, POP, POP...
Instant skyline with multitudinous new towers!