A member of the General Assembly recently jokingly referred to the state building where roughly half of Colorado lawmakers’ offices are housed as a “leper colony,” because “no one ever wants to go over there.”

Under a bill introduced in the state Senate Wednesday, lawmakers would remain on Sherman Street, but move from the first building north of the Capitol to the first one south. The move would see lawmakers swap the State Services Building for the old Department of Revenue building, now referred as the Capitol Annex.

The department vacated that building several years ago. Under the measure, the Annex would be renovated to accommodate both the lawmakers who aren’t housed directly in the Capitol, and potentially other offices such as Legislative Legal Services.

About half of the 100 members of the General Assembly are housed at the State Services building, a move made about a decade ago. That move was in conjunction with renovations made in the state Capitol to create the building’s largest hearing room in the old State Library that had served as offices for House minority members for years. 

Senate Bill 306 is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City and Republican Sen. Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa.

In addition to moving lawmakers, the bill also seeks to move the offices housing the attorneys for the legislature no more than a quarter-mile away from the Capitol. State law currently requires those offices to be in the state Capitol.

The renovations cost, according to Moreno, would be about $49.3 million, but that’s more than what’s identified in the bill, he added.

That would cover asbestos abatement, as well as repairs to the elevators, window upgrades and HVAC systems. The bill does not identify a timeline for that work to be completed. 

The Capital Development Committee took a look at SB 306 Thursday morning. Chair Rep. Tammy Story, D-Evergreen, said she wanted more time to review the request, given that the bill identified unnamed cash funds for the revenovation and that the bill was just introduced late Wednesday.

Moreno apologized for the bill’s late introduction, but said it reflects ongoing conversations with the executive branch over space needs for the Capitol. 

But Moreno asked for the committee to make a recommendation on the bill Thursday, as he is hoping to have it in Senate Appropriations Committee later in the day and in front of the full Senate after that. 

“This seems like a well-laid out plan,” said Rep. Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, who said he’s been aware this was coming for most of the session and what was being planned. Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, also supported moving forward with a recommendation.

“I just want an opportunity to read through the materials,” Story said. 

Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, made the motion to send a letter of recommendation to accompany SB 306. The motion passed on a 5-1 vote.

“We haven’t had time to review this,” Story said, in explaining her “no” vote.