New drawings of the under-construction State House in Montgomery show additional interior details, including the Senate and House chambers on the fifth floor and the public space in between them under the building’s dome.
The seven-story structure’s peak will be just shorter than the neighboring Capitol’s, said Othni Lathram, secretary of the Legislative Council. That’s the body of lawmakers that own the State House and approved the new building. The Retirement Systems of Alabama is building it and the council will rent it with an option to eventually own it.
“We intentionally did not want a dome that is higher than the Capitol dome,” Lathram said. “The Capitol dome should be the highest thing in the capital complex. I think we’ve gotten pretty close, but we’re not exceeding it.”
There’s fresh perspectives on the chambers looking down from the galleries where the public will sit. The House chamber is more rounded and the Senate is more squared.
“All of these are still somewhat conceptual,” Lathram said. Changes could be made based on price, he said.
“Where we’re showing marble could end up being sheetrock, and vice versa,” he said.
State House leaders expect the building to cost about $350 million. Crews are currently working on the fourth floor of the building directly behind the existing State House. Completion is expected in 2026.
One of the selling points for the new building is more space for the public, including multiple committee rooms that can hold more 100 people or more.
