Dive Brief:
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A mammoth remodeling job began in Washington, D.C., this month as contractors started renovating the 107-year-old Cannon House Office Building for 140 members of Congress.
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The $752.7 million project, including replacement of decade-old pipes and plumbing, is expected to take 10 years to complete.
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Construction will take place in two-year phases. During Phase 1, contractors will update plumbing, heating and cooling, and other systems, and they will repair the 826,465-square-foot building’s marble façade.
Dive Insight:
Some of the needed repairs will present a challenge for contractors, who may have to custom-build parts for systems that are so old that no replacements for them exist anymore. After Phase 1, the following ones will each last two years and are set to continue through November 2024.
A byproduct of the project: Taxpayers will shell out more than $900 per square foot to renovate the historic building.