>> ERIC: WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE ACTION FROM THE LEGISLATURE THIS PAST YEAR AND THE IMPACT AHEAD.

THE STATE CAPITOL MALL AND SURROUNDING BUILDINGS ARE SLATED FOR A LOT OF CHANGE AFTER AN INFUSION OF FUNDS.

A CAAP BOARD MEETING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WILL WALK THROUGH THE NEXT STEPS, BUT MARY LAHAMMER HAS A SNEAK PEAK OF ALL THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT BROUGHT A CAPITOL FIGURE OUT OF RETIREMENT TO HELP THE STATE FOR JUST A BIT LONGER.

>> Mary: THE CAPITOL AREA REMAINS A POPULAR DESTINATION, AND THE UPKEEP OF THE STATE'S MOST-IMPORTANT BUILDING IS ONGOING.

EVEN AFTER MORE THAN $300 MILLION OF A TOP TO BOTTOM HIGH RENOVATION, OVERSEEN BY THE CAAP BOARD'S PAUL MENDEL, WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN RETIREMENT.

>> MY SUCCESSOR RESIGNED IN MAY OF THIS PAST YEAR, AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, WHO'S UR BOARD CHAIR, ASKED IF I WOULD COME BACK UNDER ANY CONDITIONS.

>> Mary: O YOU COULDN'T SEE NO -- SAY NO TO THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.

>> NO.

>> Mary: AND YOUR STATE.

>> AND I LOVE THE WORK.

AND WE HAVE ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES NOW WITH NEW FUNDING STREAMS.

>> Mary: SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST ON SO MANY WELL-FUNDED PROJECTS EVEN ON AN INTERIM BASIS PROVED IRRESISTIBLE.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: THERE'S HALF A BILLION DOLLARS OF OPPORTUNITY BEHIND YOU.

>> THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF IT, OF COURSE, IS TO MAKE HE HEARING ROOMS, FIRST, TECHNOLOGYWISE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE HYBRID, PEOPLE CAN BE ZOOMING IN, PEOPLE CAN BE HERE, FEELING SAFE, THE BUILDINGS COULD BE SECURED, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE HEARING ROOMS, BASICALLY.

>> Mary: WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SPACE.

>> WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SPACE, RIGHT.

>> Mary: HAS THAT BEEN FULLY COMMUNICATED BECAUSE IT'S HARD BECAUSE IT ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE LAWMAKERS ARE SPENDING MONEY ON THEMSELVES AND THEIR OFFICES.

>> I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED ENOUGH.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK SAFETY BECAUSE THE CRITICAL JUNCTURE OF THE CAPITOL, STONE WAS FALLING, WATER GUSHING IN.

THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING HERE, CORRECT?

>> YES.

>> Mary: PEOPLE THOUGHT 300 MILLION PLUS WAS A LOT FOR THE CAPITOL.

500 MILLION PLUS FOR THIS NOT AS ATTRACTIVE BUILDING GIVES PEOPLE REALISTICKER SHOCK.

>> I KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A GOOD ANTICIPATES TO THAT.

ANSWER TO THAT.

OLD BUILDINGS COST MORE TO RENOVATE.

>> Mary: IS T HISTORICALLY AND ARCHITECTURALLY, I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.

CAPITOL, OBVIOUSLY A GEM.

STATE OFFICE BUILDING -- >> BUT IT'S THE GRANITE, THE EXPANSION IS ALL GOING TO BE UP TO SNUFF.

>> Mary: WHAT HAPPENS TO LEIF?

>> HE STAYS.

>> Mary: EXACTLY WHERE HE IS.

>> HE DOESN'T NEED TO MOVE.

>> Mary: SINCE YOU KIND OF LEFT AND CAME BACK WE HAD A BULLET HOLE THROUGH THE SENATE BUILDING.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: CRIME KIND OF UP IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.

IT'S A REAL CONCERN.

>> EVERYTHING FROM MORE CAMERAS TO SAFETY MEASURES.

CALL BOXES.

AND THERE'S STILL SOME IMPLEMENTATION MONEY THERE, I THINK, FROM LAST YEAR'S SESSION FOR MORE SAFETY MEASURES.

THE IDEA BEING THE CAPITOL BUILDING, WE WANT TO KEEP IT AS UNFORTRESS-LIKE AS POSSIBLE BUT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

>> Mary: BEYOND THE BIG HALF A BILLION DOLLAR RESTORATION OF THE STATE OFFICE BUILDING, ACROSS THE STREET ON THE CAPITOL MALL, THERE'S AN INFUSION OF CASH COMING FOR THINGS COMING LIKE MORE SHADE TREES IN THE AREA, OFTEN POPULATED BY CROWDS.

>> LOVE IS LOVE.

[ Cheers ] >> Mary: POPULATED PUBLIC BILL SIGNINGS HAVE MARKED HISTORIC CHANGES TO LAW OUT ON THE OPEN LAW.

>> IT'S THE LAW!

[ Cheers ] >> Mary: AND PROTESTERS OFTEN SHOW UP TO ADVOCATE FOR AND AGAINST WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE.

>> THE MALL PROJECT, WE LAST DID A DESIGN FRAMEWORK BACK IN 1987, THAN 86, U.S. JUST BEFORE -- JUST BEFORE I STARTED HERE, 38 YEARS AGO.

SO WE WERE UPDATING THAT.

THEY GAVE US A MILLION DOLLARS TO DO A THOROUGH STUDY.

GREAT MALL, WE NEED MORE SHADE, MORE SEATING.

THE POPULATION IS AGING.

WHEN WE REDID THE CAPITOL, WE PURPOSELY LEFT IT OPEN, THAT'S HOW CASS GILBERT WANTED IT.

OF COURSE, ARCHITECTS WANT TO SHOW OFF THEIR BUILDING.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS WANT TO DECORATE.

>> Mary: 5 MILLION JUST FOR THE MALL.

>> JUST OR THE MALL.

THE MALL INCLUDES THE OPEN SPACES, WHAT'S LEFT AT LEIF ERICKSON AFTER THE STATE OFFICE BUILDING GOING IN AND THEY HAVE TWO NEW PARKS.

>> Mary: WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE WITH CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS?

>> COLUMBUS IS SAFELY TUCKED AWAY.

HE WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED, BOTH THE PEDESTAL AND THE STATUE ITSELF WERE SLIGHTLY DAMAGED.

THERE IS NOW A PROCESS, WE HAD THE CAAP BOARD HAD A VERY INTERDISCIPLINARY TWO PROCESSES, ONE ON PUBLIC ART AND ONE ON DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PROCESS.

>> Mary: THAT'S NOT ALL.

THE NEARBY FORD BUILDING WILL ALSO BE LEVELED AFTER DECADES OF DISCUSSION.

>> THE FORD BUILDING WILL BE COMING DOWN, AND THEN THEY'LL BE PUTTING IN A NEW ANNEX, BASICALLY JUST AN ACCESS POINT FOR THE TUNNEL SYSTEM.

>> Mary: AND THE HOSPITAL UP THE STREET IS NOW GONE, WITH NEW DESPERATELY NEEDED MENTAL HEALTH BEDS GOING UP IN ITS PLACE.

IS THIS MORE OPPORTUNITY PROJECT THAN YOU SAW IN YOUR ENTIRE CAREER?

>> EVER.

YEAH.

M AS YOU'RE ENDING