Rising office rent prices in downtown Austin has lawmakers again pushing for two new state buildings after Gov. Rick Perry vetoed those construction plans in 2013.
One proposed 360,000-square-foot addition would be the first new office building in the Capitol complex since 2000. The Texas Facilities Commission says construction would cost $174 million but also get nearly one-fourth of the state's existing leases in Austin off the books.
Republican state Sen. Kevin Eltife told the Austin American-Statesman that the plans make sense given escalating rent prices as the Austin economy flourishes.
Perry had cited waiting for a new master Capitol complex plan due in 2016 when he vetoed the construction two years ago. Supporters are now hoping for better luck under Gov.-elect Greg Abbott, who takes office in January.