Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to allocate funding for improvements to the Capitol campus in Minnesota. These upgrades are intended to enhance the area's aesthetics and functionality and to underscore the historical and cultural significance of the Capitol.

Main Provisions

• Funding Allocation: The bill designates $750,000 from the arts and cultural heritage fund to be used for specified improvements at the Capitol campus. This funding will remain available until the projects are completed or deemed abandoned.
• Projects and Costs:
  • Tree Planting: $400,000 is set aside for planting trees along the upper mall and the northern portion of the lower mall, which is adjacent to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
  • Benches: $200,000 is allocated for installing benches within the same areas.
  • Wayfinding and Markers: $150,000 will fund the addition of visual markers and welcoming information points. These will aid with navigation through the major streets of the Capitol campus, leading to the State Capitol building and Capitol Mall. They will also include interpretive markers to celebrate the Capitol campus’s significance as both a historic and active public space.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

While the bill itself does not directly amend existing laws, it makes a new appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund specifically targeting Capitol campus improvements, which were not previously specified in law.

Relevant Terms

• Capitol campus
• Arts and cultural heritage fund
• Tree planting
• Benches
• Visual markers
• Wayfinding
• Public gathering space
• Interpretive markers