A multi-million dollar project that included cleaning and maintenance of the Indiana Statehouse’s roof and dome has exceeded its initial budget and timeframe due to additional repairs.
In a statement Monday to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the Indiana Department of Administration said $14.1 million has been paid for the project so far, with $15.4 million allotted for construction.
That’s up from the $12.5 million initially appropriated in 2023. The additional work was covered using previously approved money “set aside specifically for unforeseen preservation needs,” the IDOA said.
Workers put together a 400-foot-long crane for the maintenance in March 2024, as part of the fourth and final phase of a Statehouse exterior project. At the time, the IDOA said the crane would help erect scaffolding around the dome and be removed once all the scaffolding was installed. As of Tuesday, the crane remained on the Statehouse grounds, and workers were on scaffolding adjacent to the dome
The project is now slated for completion in mid-October, the IDOA said.
The department originally said the scaffolding would remain in place for at least a year. In December 2024, Lane Slaughter, president of the project’s general contractor Glenroy Construction, told State Affairs the dome maintenance was expected to be complete by the end of fall 2025, though repairs to the building’s limestone chimneys could add more time.
The workload increased early last year when it became clear the Statehouse’s stained-glass windows were leaking. It was cheaper and prevented future damage to complete the window repairs while the scaffolding was already in place, the IDOA said.
The dome and roof work OK’d in 2023 included gutter repair, chimney masonry work and cleaning of the copper dome. The previous phases, totaling $10.8 million, removed deteriorated portions of the building’s facade and rebuilt damaged stairways.
Completed in 1888, the current Indiana Statehouse has undergone numerous renovations over the years, including a major restoration in 1988 for its centennial.
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