By Phil Kabler for The Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Capitol Building Commission members Wednesday approved construction of a new guardhouse at the entrance to the Governor’s Drive on the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, replacing a circa-1970s building that has fallen into disrepair.
“If you look at it closely, it’s in pretty poor condition,” Capitol Police Director Kevin Foreman said of the current building, which is manned 24 hours a day.
“It’s an awful place to house individuals,” he said, citing problems with mold, heating and cooling, and water infiltration.
Rodney Pauley, with ZMM Architects, said it would be cheaper to construct a new building rather than try to renovate the existing guardhouse, which was built when the Governor’s Drive and parking was added as part of demolition of residential housing to clear space for construction of the Culture Center, which opened in 1976. …
