David Bronner, CEO of Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), recently acknowledged that the new Alabama State House, initially slated for completion by the end of 2025, is now unlikely to meet that deadline due to construction delays.

Bronner explained that a rebid for part of the project has caused a delay of about four to six months. Despite this, he remains optimistic that the building will be ready by the start of the 2027 legislative session, which lawmakers have set as their target.

At a quarterly meeting of the Employees’ Retirement System Board of Control, Bronner discussed the project and provided updates on its progress. The RSA, which owns several properties in Montgomery and across Alabama, is constructing the new State House and will lease it to the Legislature once completed.

“My goal originally was I was going to be done in ’25,” Bronner remarked. “But now it’s going to roll over into 2026, probably the first four to six months.”

The building is being built on the east side of the current State House, a 60-year-old structure that was originally used by the Alabama Highway Department. Bronner mentioned that the project is currently on track to stay within the estimated budget of $325 million, with some portions already coming in under budget.

However, he warned that unforeseen factors could still impact costs. "A lot of crazy things can happen," Bronner said, pointing to tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. “Like, for example, my buddy Mr. Trump, that I’ve known for 30 years, installing tariffs. Which will put a zinger in everybody’s pocket.”

He added, “We hope to stay within the budget, I’ll put it that way.”

The new State House has been a long-anticipated project. The current building, used by the Legislature since 1985, has suffered from a range of issues, including limited public access, poor accessibility for disabled individuals, flooding, and mold.

A 2020 engineering report found that the building would require $51 million in repairs over the next decade. In 2022, the Legislative Council authorized talks with the RSA to explore the construction of a new State House, which will be leased back to the Legislature under an agreement that guarantees an 8% return for the RSA.

The project's second phase will involve demolishing the existing building and developing a park, pavilion, and parking deck, with an estimated cost of $100 million. Although Bronner initially indicated that RSA wouldn’t be involved in this phase, he later confirmed that RSA will construct the parking deck.