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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- As the $250 million renovation of the State Capitol is nearing an end, some state officials want to tear down another building in the complex.
Replacing the 45-year-old State Office Building would cost an additional $70 million.
Although the building was extensively remodeled just a few years ago, including the expensive removal of asbestos, some state officials say the building should be replaced with one built in the same style as the Capitol and new House and Senate office structures.
Senate President John Valentine said that is a "long-term" goal for the Capitol Hill complex.
Valentine, R-Orem, stressed that the ideas for the State Office Building were only in preliminary discussions. His opinion was echoed by House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, who added that replacing the office building would complete the "Capitol complex" plan as originally drawn nearly a century ago.
The original vision of the Capitol's architect was for the main Capitol backed by several multistory office buildings to be faced with local granite.
The State Office Building was built in the early 1960s and is a rectangular building with a glass and metal facade.
Information from: Deseret Morning News
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
