The Ohio Statehouse is known as "the people’s house" and is open most days and weekends to visitors. But it is completely shut down for at least part of this week.
That's because there's no power in the building. A $20 million upgrade to the HVAC and electrical systems is underway, as part of a larger renovation that spans six years.
“It’s quite a big project," said Megan Wycuff, the executive director of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. The systems being replaced were installed during the massive renovation of the Statehouse in the 1990s.
There was an issue with the air conditioning system last month, when the House returned for a veto override session. They couldn't meet in the House chamber because there was no a/c.
"I think it might have been the first time the House of Representatives had ever met in the Senate chamber," Wycuff said. "The House side of the building, the south side, does not have any air conditioning this summer because their air handlers, they're being replaced."
There are only 33 desks in the Senate and 99 members of the House, so that created an unusual setup, with some representatives seated in visitors' seating and using electronic tablets to cast votes.
The Ohio Statehouse, which opened in 1861, is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States. It’s on the National Registry of Historic Places, and is one of only about 2,000 National Historic Landmarks as designated by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. That means repairs and renovations like this one require special considerations.
“Buildings aren’t built like this anymore so it’s so important to preserve the grandeur of it and tell its story," Wycuff said. "There are special concessions that we have to make to make sure that we can work around not only people in the building but the really rare craftsmanship that is in every room of this building.”
No public access of the building will be available until at least Thursday, August 14.
