Key Takeaways:
- New York State will spend $72 million to fix 77 stairs at the Capitol building.
- Each step costs $935,000.
- The repair cost increased from $17 million in 2014 due to delays and inflation.
- The staircase has been neglected for over a century.
A Pricey Climb: New York’s $72 Million Staircase
Imagine walking up a staircase where each step costs nearly a million dollars. Sounds crazy, right? But that’s exactly what’s happening in Albany, New York, where the state is spending $72 million to fix 77 steps leading to the Capitol building. That’s over $935,000 per step!
The staircase, known as the Eastern Approach, was closed to the public in 2014 after inspectors found it was falling apart. Steel supports were rusted, and bricks were so loose they could be pulled out by hand. Back then, fixing it was estimated to cost $17 million. But year after year, the project was delayed, and the price tag kept growing.
By 2022, the cost had ballooned to $41 million. When the state finally hired a construction company, Louis C. Allegrone, Inc., the price jumped to $72 million. Only one other company bid on the project, and some documents suggest the state was once ready to spend over $80 million.
So, why did the cost quadruple? Officials blame inflation, rising construction costs, and the fact that the staircase got worse over time. But critics are furious, calling it a waste of taxpayer money.
A Century of Neglect
Believe it or not, this staircase has been in bad shape for a long time. Back in 1924, a newspaper wrote that it was “nearing complete ruin” and needed $1 million in repairs—about $16 million today. Inspections and warnings continued over the years, but nothing was done.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo set aside just $120,000 for urgent repairs in 2016, but that was nowhere near enough. His successor, Governor Kathy Hochul, finally allocated funds in 2022, but by then, the damage was done.
The Fallout
New Yorkers are not happy about the expensive project. One columnist called it “robbery” and questioned why taxpayers can’t get answers about how their money is being spent.
To make matters worse, this isn’t the first time New York has spent big on stairs. In 2022, the city spent $30 million on a 28-step staircase in a Times Square subway station. Now, it seems Albany’s Capitol building stairs are joining the list of overpriced projects.
A Step in the Wrong Direction?
The Capitol building’s staircase repair is a reminder of what happens when maintenance is ignored for decades. Taxpayers are now footing the bill for a problem that could have been fixed for much less if addressed earlier.
As the project moves forward, many are left wondering: Could this money have been better spent elsewhere? And how many more “pricey steps” are waiting to be discovered in New York?