The committee overseeing the restoration of the Minnesota state Capitol approved more projects today that were not part of the original $272.7 million plan.
The total new costs, some of which included unforeseen engineering problems with the project, are $34 million, bringing the total to roughly $307 million.
Among the projects approved Wednesday by the bipartisan State Capitol Preservation Commission are modifications to Aurora Ave. for $2.4 million; $400,000 for reopening the South Loggia, which is a balcony; about $900,000 for decorative painting; $100,000 for a bus loading plan; and $6.2 million contingency fund for security.
The Legislature will have to appropriate the money.
Gov. Mark Dayton defended the spending, saying the Capitol restoration is a project for the next century, and that Minnesotans would regret not spending a little extra to make the project live up to its billing and potential.
