The planned renovations to the State Office Building (SOB) are slated to be one of the most expensive renovation or construction projects in the history of the Minnesota State Capitol complex.
With a total price tag of over $729 million, the renovation and planned additions to the current SOB will provide lavish office space to members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, legislative staff, and the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Initially, the estimated cost of the building was more than $450 million. However, a letter from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) stated that when interest is included in the project, “the State will pay at the very most a total of $729,321,190.97 through 2044, or about $35.9 million annually.”
As such, the new SOB will cost exponentially more than the 2015 construction of the Senate Office Building ($90 million) and the 2017 renovation of the State Capitol Building ($310 million).
They continue to press ahead with the $730 million expansion of the State Office Building. Taxpayers cannot afford this exorbitant spending on ONE building. The new Senate Office Building was $90 million – what can we possibly “need” for $730 million?! No #palaceforpoliticians! pic.twitter.com/iMi79Z0S75
— Kristin Robbins (@KRobbinsMN) January 8, 2024
Moreover, the planned renovations to the SOB will cost far more than some significant landmarks around Minnesota.
In 2000, the Xcel Energy Center was completed after construction began in 1998. The total cost of building the stadium was $170,000,000. When accounting for inflation, the price tag of constructing the Xcel Energy Center in 2023 dollars would be $315,934,187.28.
In 2007, construction crews broke ground on Target Field, the current stadium for Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins. The total cost of the stadium, including publicly contributed funds and privately contributed funds, was roughly $555 million. The $555 million used to build Target Field would now be worth approximately $810,890,702.32 today.
In 2013, construction began on U.S. Bank Stadium. Completed in 2016, the cost of building U.S. Bank Stadium was over $1 billion. However, the public share of the project was about $498 million; the Minnesota Vikings paid for the remaining $551 million. Today, that $498 million price tag would be roughly $647,605,008.65.
As such, the Democrats in control of state government could build a brand new professional sports stadium with the money they intend to spend on their own office space.
Furthermore, the American Experiment’s Nick Majerus pointed out that state legislators could purchase the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis, the Capella Tower in Minneapolis, and still have money left over with the $729 million they are preparing to spend on the State Office Building.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
