Shocking News! Capitol Visitor Center Delayed

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WHEN THE CIVIL WAR started, Congress was undertaking in one of its largest home-renovation projects to date — the massive expansion of the Capitol's House and Senate wings, plus the addition of the building's signature cast-iron dome. President Abraham Lincoln said the construction of the dome needed to continue, as it was a sign that the Union would go on and survive the split between North and South. Sure enough, it was completed toward the end of the war and sure enough, the dome is an internationally recognized symbol of American democracy.

So what should we make of Congress' current massive construction project on Capitol Hill? The subterranean Capitol Visitor Center, which has been taking shape under the East Front's plaza and lawn since 2002, has been delayed and delayed again; its price tag has continued to increase. It was supposed to be largely complete by the time of President Bush's second inauguration, so the East Front could be useable. But as you can tell from this aerial photo from January 2005, it was nowhere near finished.

Then last year, officials from Architect of the Capitol's office said the project would wrap up by the end of 2007. Now, as The Post's Michael E. Ruane and Joe Stephens report, that date's been pushed back to the summer of 2008.

So unlike its predecessors, this Capitol project might just be a monument to inefficiency and waste. Which in some ways is a perfect tribute to the nation's capital and its People's House.

» "Capitol Visitor Center" [AOC]
» "Capitol Visitor Center Debut Again Delayed" [WaPo]

Photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol