The $263M WA Capitol Campus renovation finishes this year. Here’s what to know
Residents strolling through the Washington state Capitol Campus will soon see construction barriers removed as the multi-year, $263 million modernization effort enters its final stages.
Implemented through the state Department of Enterprise Services (DES), the three-pronged Legislative Campus Modernization project addresses space needs and critical safety issues in the Irving R. Newhouse, Joel Pritchard and John L. O’Brien buildings.
The state’s capital budget funded the renovation.
DES replaced Newhouse in 2024, and Pritchard is slated to reach substantial completion this summer. O’Brien should be renovated by December, just before the 2027 Legislative Session.
“The true core of the design process was to honor the historic legacy,” DES director Matt Jones said. “As well as embracing the present and really looking to the future, and part of that is the balance of ensuring the historic integrity of the historic West Campus, and making a more modern office environment to support the operational needs of the legislature.”
According to Jones, the investment in legislative operations will allow representatives to better support citizens. Campus visitors may see a larger footprint at some buildings, new public art, and what Jones described as a “warmer feel.”
Phase 1: Irving R. Newhouse building
Located southeast of the Legislative Building on Sid Snyder Avenue, the Irving R. Newhouse building houses Washington state Senate offices and the state Legislative Page School.
The original Newhouse building was constructed in 1934 as a temporary structure, according to DES, making the former building well-beyond its “useful life.” Its replacement targeted safety concerns and obsolete building components. DES expanded the building’s footprint to address an ongoing overcrowding problem during the legislative session.
Lasting from 2022 to 2024, the Newhouse replacement cost just over $94 million.
Phase 2: Joel Pritchard building
Immediately south of the domed Legislative Building, the Joel Pritchard building is located on 15th Avenue Southwest.
Renovations to the Pritchard should reach substantial completion in July, costing over $131 million. Legislative tenants will be able to move in this October.
Completed in 1958, the Pritchard building initially housed the Washington State Library, the state’s record-keeping arm. The library was relocated years ago, moving to a Tumwater office building after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. The remodel aims to transform the building from a bookkeeping facility to a functional legislative workspace.
DES demolished the building’s historic book stacks in June 2024 to create office space. Jones said DES also remodeled Pritchard’s historic front facade and entry, while restoring historic rooms and art.
The remodel also addresses health safety issues within the Pritchard building, including an inadequate seismic response system. Now in the phase’s last months, construction crews are adding interior finishes to it.
Once completed, Pritchard will house members of the state House of Representatives, the Code Reviser’s Office, the legislature’s IT agency and coordinated lobbying group, the Third House Washington.
Residents can see the newly renovated Pritchard later this fall during an open house.
Phase 3: John L. O’Brien building
The final stage of the LCM project, the renovation of the top two floors of the John L. O’Brien building, will wrap up by mid-December with a price tag of over $12 million.
One of the two structures framing the Legislative Building, O’Brien also serves as office space for the House of Representatives. Completed in 1940, O’Brien’s construction marked the latest Capitol Campus construction during the Great Depression.
Tenants are scheduled to move in before the next legislative session, which begins Jan. 11, 2027.
