A snazzy new Capitol: Building reopens after 3 years

The Utah State Capitol was decked out Friday for its second dedication as a home for the people of Utah.

Red and blue bunting decorated the railings in the rotunda. Walls and floors were clean and bright. Once-dim artwork was visible and vibrant.

The historic structure, first dedicated in 1916, has been closed the past three years for restoration and seismic upgrades. Utah dignitaries appeared proud to reopen the building as they gave remarks during an hourlong rededication that focused on the Capitol's retrofitting and its role as a center for democracy in the state.

"This is the official house of the people of the state of Utah," Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said during his prayer to rededicate the structure. "May it be preserved from the elements of nature. May wisdom dictate all that is said and done here. May the people whose building it is feel free to wander its halls and marble staircases, admiring its resplendent beauty."

President Hinckley was asked to rededicate the building in a nod to its first dedication, at which Joseph Fielding Smith, then president of LDS Church, blessed the Capitol. Other speakers also mirrored that first ceremony, with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. giving remarks and prayers offered by religious leaders from northern and central Utah.

But unlike the first dedication, where a reported 30,000 visitors attended, only invited guests were allowed inside the Capitol on Friday. Those in attendance said the highlight of the event was the music, which began with songs by the brightly dressed International Children's Choir and ended with a stately and slow rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Cathedral of the Madeleine Choir School.

First lady Mary Kaye Huntsman helped lead a stirring bell-ringing ceremony inside the Capitol, as hundreds of area bell choirs lined the rotunda and rang bells to celebrate "return and renewal." The audience also joined in the ceremony by ringing small copper-colored bells given as souvenirs.

"This, by any standard, is an epic day," said David Hart, architect of the Capitol and the dedication's opening speaker. "Now as we rededicate the Capitol and reopen it to the public, it is important that we always remember that this is more than a building. It is a special place. It is — the people's house."

In a symbolic gesture, Hart gave an oversized key to the Capitol to the governor and first lady. The architect also urged Utah residents to care for and respect the newly opened Capitol, which was restored after nearly nine years of planning, preparation and construction work.