Hart said the parking project would be considered part of the renovation, so it would not be put out to bid by the state. Instead, he said it would be seen simply as a change order — albeit a large one with a considerable price tag.

Adding the underground lot would allow an existing employee lot farther north to be opened to the public. It has roughly the same number of stalls. Planners had toyed with someday putting an underground lot there.

One of the reasons they didn't add it to the renovation project from the beginning was cost, Hart said. The $200 million price tag for the massive project, which includes installing base isolators under the multi-ton building, was already "a pretty big pill for everyone to swallow."

But building the garage now means it could be completed in time for the November 2007 re-opening of the Capitol, Hart said, and it would be cheaper. Much of the site for the proposed garage is now occupied by construction trailers, which would have to be moved.

The underground parking facility would not be visible from the grounds. It would come within about 50 feet of the Mormon battalion monument on the Capitol grounds but not disturb the structure, Hart said.

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