Plans are in the works for the possibility of a new Alabama State House, one that would be built by the Retirement Systems of Alabama on what is now a parking lot behind the existing State House.

The RSA sent out a request for proposals last Friday to architectural firms for a site evaluation, design, and cost estimates for a new building to house the Legislature’s meeting chambers and offices. The RSA is accepting proposals through May 19.

A bill, SB222, advancing quickly the Senate and House would give the Legislature control of the state-owned property under consideration. Alabama Daily News reported on the request for proposals and the bill.

RSA Legislative Counsel Neah Mitchell Scott said in an email to AL.com that the Legislative Council, a panel of lawmakers, approached the RSA about the project. The RSA has built and owns about a half-dozen office buildings in downtown Montgomery, as well as hotels, resorts, and golf courses across the state.

“At the request of the Legislative Council, RSA is working with the Council to explore the construction of a new statehouse,” Scott said. “The Council reached out to RSA based on its expertise in the construction of office buildings, which could be helpful with this potential project. We are still in the exploration phase of the project so we do not have specifics on how the deal will be structured, but RSA building the state house and then leasing the building back to the Legislature is a possibility. RSA’s intention is ensure that any deal reached is financially beneficial to our members.”

Officials have talked for years about replacing the State House. The building was constructed in 1963 for the Alabama Highway Department (now known as the Department of Transportation). The Legislature moved into it in 1985 in what was planned as a temporary move during renovations at the State Capitol. But the move became permanent.

A facility assessment conducted by an engineering firm in March 2020 found that the State House needed $51 million in repairs, renovations and replacements over 10 years. (You can see the report at the end of this story.)

Last year, the Legislative Council directed senior staffers to explore the idea of a new State House and have discussions with the RSA about building a State House that it would lease to the Legislature.

Senate Secretary Pat Harris said the worst shortcoming is that the building has poor access for the public. School groups, professional groups, employee groups, and people interested in legislative topics compete for limited space in the hallways, committee rooms, and galleries in the State House.

“There’s no access to the building,” Harris said. “People can’t get in to see how government works. They can’t get into their member’s office. They can’t get into the galleries. They can’t get in the committee rooms.”

The building has also had problems with flooding and mold.

The site under consideration is now a parking lot near the back door of the State House, a block bordered by Ripley Street, Pelham Street, Jackson Street, and Washington Avenue. The state owns the property. SB222 directs the state Finance Department to transfer deeds and ownership specifically to the Legislative Council. The bills says the Legislative Council “shall have the authority to contract with an appropriate party, including, but not limited to, the Retirement Systems of Alabama, to construct and maintain a building that, upon completion, would be designated as the Alabama State House.”

The references to the State House are in a few paragraphs tucked into the 30-page bill, which also concerns legislative meeting dates, legislative committees, the transfer of duties if there is a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office, and other topics. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday and won approval in the House State Government Committee today.

During the committee meeting, Reps. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, and Prince Chestnut, D-Selma, asked many questions about the bill. Rogers said he sensed that bill was on the fast track for passing.

“I know it’s greasy as a hog,” Rogers said. “Like a greasy piece of bacon.”

But Rogers asked why the provisions about the State House property were lumped into a bill with so many unrelated topics. Chestnut said the bill read like five different bills.

“Is it by design or what? It’s hard for me to follow and I went to school for this,” said Chestnut, who is a lawyer.

Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, the House sponsor of the bill, said the legislation was a “catch all.”

“We’re trying to clean up a bunch of stuff that needs to be addressed,” Pringle said.

The House State Government Committee approved the bill on an 8-4 vote after a lengthy discussion. Eight Republicans voted for the bill, and the four Democrats on the committee, including Rogers and Chestnut, voted no. The Democrats who voted against the bill did not say they were opposed to a new State House. Committee approval puts the bill in position for a vote by the full House.

Pringle said the bill is just a step in what he said would be a long process to making a new State House a reality. But he does not question the need. The space limitations and configuration of the State House made social distancing difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic and severely limited public access.

“I think the pandemic clearly showed to everybody in the state of Alabama this building is a piece of garbage,” Pringle told the committee today. “And to keep trying to fix it is like putting lipstick on a dead pig. This building was never intended to be used for what we’re using it for.”

Harris said the current status, with the bill and the request for proposals by the RSA, is the most progress made toward a new State House during years of on-and-off discussions.

“This is the furthest it’s gotten,” Harris said. “And we’re real excited simply to have RSA do the project because it kind of takes the politics out of it. The Legislature is not going to hire architects or builders or submit bids out. We’re going to let the RSA do all that. And based on their record of what they’ve built not only in Montgomery, but all over the world, New York and other areas where they own property and have built anything from office buildings to golf courses, they have a very good record in controlling costs and how those things are constructed.”

Read more: Legislature exploring possibility of new Alabama State House