November 29, 2016
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stood in the rotunda of New Jersey's Statehouse on Tuesday and announced plans for the building to receive a major facelift, NJ.com reports.
The 224-year-old building will undergo a $300 million renovation that will begin immediately. The project is expected to take up to four years to complete.
Christie reportedly called the building unsafe, citing its lack of sprinklers and a fire suppression system, and said that he's ashamed that it is in such dire condition.
The New Jersey Statehouse is the second-oldest continuously operated Statehouse in the country. NJ.com notes that the construction project will not affect the Assembly and Senate chambers, which were renovated in the early 1990s. Parts of the building date back to the 18th century.
Watch my announcement live from the State House Rotunda on @Livestream here: https://t.co/EojaVBX7AQ
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) November 29, 2016
The announcement, while sincere, came off as a shock to some who had expected Christie to share something more substantive, like news of a potential White House position.
Christie to reporters, after announcing NJ Statehouse renovations: "I think maybe all of you thought I was announcing something else."
— Maddie Hanna (@maddiehanna) November 29, 2016
Read more at NJ.com.
