The General Assembly of the state of Virginia officially has a new home. A dedication ceremony was held Wednesday, Oct. 11 for the new Virginia General Assembly Building in Richmond. The legislative structure is home to offices for lawmakers, committee rooms, and more. The assembly has been working on the project of building a new, more modern home for several years and some aspects of this plan are yet to be complete.
The Project Timeline
Virginia’s old General Assembly Building was slated for a full-scale replacement in 2016. The facility was considered outdated and inefficient. It was made up of several buildings that shared a common elevator. It was also too small to accommodate members of the public from a growing state that has more than doubled in population since the 1960s. Most troubling was the asbestos and mold issues that made any technological upgrades to the building challenging to complete.
In 2016, the General Assembly authorized $300 million to build a new structure as part of a larger project involving a new parking garage, and renovations of the nearby Victorian Gothic Old City Hall, which contains state government offices. Part of that funding also went toward a tunnel, still under construction, connecting the building to the nearby Virginia Capitol.
Legislative offices were moved out of the old General Assembly Building, which was demolished in 2017. The initial completion date for the project was June 2022, but the pandemic and related supply-chain issues pushed that date back nearly 18 months. In October 2023, the building was occupied by legislators and opened to the public.
The New General Assembly Building
The new Virginia General Assembly Building was constructed on the same site as the demolished previous structure. It incorporates the historic façade, from 1912, which was stabilized and preserved during demolition. The 15-story building has a 12,000-person capacity, spread across public seating areas, expanded committee rooms, a larger dining area open to the public, and a post office facility. The building also features updated security features and a lactation room for new parents.
At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the Virginia General Assembly Building. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.