(Inside California Politics) — California’s long-delayed and costly state Capitol Annex construction project now has an official completion date.

Approved by the Legislature in 2017, the plan involved demolishing the old annex building to make way for a new one. Now, hundreds of millions of dollars later, lawmakers say the long-awaited complex is expected to be completed 10 years after its approval in October 2027.

Construction is 55% complete as of April, legislative leaders say, but costs have again increased, this time by $98 million.

Lawmakers say they do not plan to provide more funding. Instead, they say they’ll cut costs by canceling — at least for now — a proposed visitor center and reducing the overall scope of the annex’s landscaping.

In March, the project reached multiple major milestones, according to the Legislature. The building is now fully enclosed, and “about 95%” of the exterior has been completed, including a plaza skylight.

“Interior framing is underway, the electrical vault is done and the transition from temporary power will begin in July 2026,” project leaders say.

The new annex will hold offices for members of the Senate and Assembly, as well as for the governor, along with committee rooms.

Since the beginning, the project has faced mounting scrutiny, including lawsuits over environmental and cost concerns. Lawmakers have also heard criticism of their lack of transparency, particularly after many project leaders signed non-disclosure agreements.

Democrats in the Legislature continue to defend those NDAs, including Asm. Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey, who said signing the agreements are “a norm.”

“We will continue to do updates because transparency is important, and [Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz] and I believe we need to answer the questions the public needs to know.”

So far, the project has cost California $632 million, and the total expected cost is more than $1 billion.

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