Summary

The Cannon House Office Building (Cannon Building)--completed in 1908--and the East and West House Underground Garages (East and West Garages)--built in 1968--have deteriorated over time and will need to be repaired, according to assessments conducted for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). AOC plans to renovate these three facilities over approximately the next 8 years as part of a long-term effort to reduce maintenance backlogs and execute major renewal projects to sustain all Capitol Complex facilities.

Renovations of the Cannon Building and East and West Garages are needed to maintain the integrity and safety of these facilities and reduce the likelihood of unplanned outages and associated costs. According to comprehensive FCAs completed for AOC by an expert consultant, most of the deficiencies identified in the Cannon Building--such as 70-year-old hot water heating and building ventilation systems and damaged, often nonfunctional windows--should be corrected within the next 5 to 7 years. The deficiencies identified in the garages are more urgent structural problems--including cracking concrete and corroding reinforcing steel--and, according to the FCAs, should be addressed within the next 2 to 4 years. In addition to correcting these and other identified deficiencies, the renovation projects will address other considerations, such as energy conservation, historic preservation, hazardous materials abatement, and fire safety. AOC anticipates that each of the garage renovation projects will last approximately 2 years while the Cannon Building renovation will be completed in phases over 5 years. In order for these renovations to occur within the time frames specified in the FCAs, AOC has requested or plans to request $38 million for construction of the East Garage renovation in fiscal year 2010, $30 million for construction of the West Garage renovation in fiscal year 2012, and $753 million for the planning, design, and construction of the Cannon Building renovation beginning in fiscal year 2010. Limiting the scope of the renovations by deferring some work could reduce near-term costs; however, such action may result in the need to make more expensive emergency repairs in the future that could disrupt operations.