Kansas company wins bid for Capitol repairs

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma officials have selected a Kansas-based construction company with experience renovating historic structures to repair the exterior of the state Capitol.

Officials with the state’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services announced Monday the selection of JE Dunn Construction to begin the first phase of a planned $120 million renovation of the nearly 100-year-old building.

The maximum value of the contract to repair the building’s exterior is $25 million.

Construction is expected to begin early next year to repair extensive cracking and other damage to the stone facade and secure some of the massive stone blocks to the building.

Access to the Capitol’s front staircase has been blocked to pedestrians for years because of pieces of mortar and limestone that have fallen from the building’s facade.