Capitol Vistor Center Delayed ... Again

SOUND FAMILIAR? The biggest expansion of the U.S. Capitol since the construction of the House and Senate wings 150 years ago is delayed ... again. As Roll Call's John McArdle reports this morning:

House appropriators demanded that agency officials start getting realistic about deadlines for the massive underground project that broke ground almost seven years ago.

The large subterranean addition under the East Lawn was supposed to be mostly ready by the time of President Bush's second inauguration in January 2005. But the project has been continually delayed and the price tag has increased time and time again. The Government Accountability Office now predicts that the final cost will be upwards of $600 million.

The Architect of the Capitol's office, which last year said the project would be complete by the end of 2007, testified Friday that a certificate of occupancy likely can't be obtained until spring 2008, according to Roll Call.

» "Capitol Visitor Center" [Architect of the Capitol]
» "Appropriators Hit CVC Delay" [Roll Call, subscription req'd]
» "Capitol Visitor Center: Update on Status of Project's Schedule and Cost as of November 15, 2006" [GAO]

Posted By Michael Grass at 4:02 PM on February 20, 2007 Tagged in Capitol Hill , Free Ride , News , The District

Comments (29) | Archive