SENATOR CARLA NELSON STATEMENT ON CAPTIOL PRESERVATION COMMISSION DEVELOPMENTS
St. Paul- Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) authored a bill, Senate File 1200, during the 2011 Legislative Session to establish a State Capitol preservation commission to develop a comprehensive, multi year, pre-design financial plan for the restoration of the Capitol building. After the commission was establish, Senator Nelson was selected to serve as one of its 15 members.
The Commission met Tuesday, November 1 to finalize and approve their priorities: preserving and restoring the architectural integrity of the Capitol, maintaining the functionality of the Capitol and ensuring life & safety at Capitol. Upon approval of those priorities, Senator Nelson made the following statement. “Our State Capitol is 106 years old and has the 4th largest stone dome in the world. It is one of Minnesota’s greatest prides and a historical icon of our statehood. For too long, we have resorted to taking a piecemeal approach in Capitol caretaking, resulting in a building that is in dire need of restoration. I am hopeful that the Commission will think big and focus small – consider the long term, bigger picture and then prioritize projects and resources within a limited scope given our economic realities,” said Senator Nelson. “As legislators, it is important to remember that these are temporary seats – we are in this building at the will of our constituency. Our priority should be to act as stewards of the great building for future generations of Minnesotans.”
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