(Source: MIRS.news, Publsihed 11/23/2022) The Capitol's incoming $4.5 million underground facility for landscaping and snow removal equipment is projected to be completely constructed and operational in August 2023. In the meantime, the area of the Capitol off Ottawa between the sidewalk to the House Office Building and the service entrance is dug up and off limits.
The 5,000 square-foot underground facility, which is being financed by a grant award, will house equipment presently being held at an off-site facility "north of town," according to Executive Director Rob Blackshaw of the Michigan State Capitol Commission.
"The goal of building this is to reduce the amount of man hours going back and forth from the warehouse to bring all that equipment on site," Blackshaw told MIRS Wednesday. "After the building of Heritage Hall and removing the parking lot that was sitting there for 40 to 50 years on the west side, this area is now grounds. We have doubled the size of grounds that we care for, also all of the sidewalks (are) our responsibility to keep clear."
During July, the $40 million Heritage Hall – a modern attachment to the historical, 140-year-old Capitol building, had its soft opening. Blackshaw anticipates that the space, with four skylights, a new meeting area and orientation expanse for school field trips, will hopefully prevent any delays for those entering the Capitol.
"We do have the Ottawa Street Heritage Hall entrance open, as well as the east entrance, which was the old entrance for the tours, so with those two completely accessible, they shouldn't deter any type of traffic or pedestrian traffic into the building," Blackshaw said.
Blackshaw said at least 10-man hours were being spent daily to move equipment back-and-forth, equating to 50 man hours weekly and 200 hours monthly "just by bringing it on-site, and that doesn't include fuel costs or wear on the trucks and trailers."
"The anticipation moving forward is to continue to dig the hole, start putting in the concrete substructure of the flooring and the structures…build that over the winter, cover it back up and finish it with the remaining steel lid – concrete top," he said, repeating that he hopes everything will be finished by August 2023.
