Ah, the executive bathroom, one of the unheralded perks of holding a cabinet-level seat. But unfortunately for outgoing Interior Department Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, the $236,000 renovation of the Main Interior Building Executive Suite bathroom was finally completed just in time to hand the keys over to Interior Secretary-nominee, Ken Salazar.
It is the first time any such renovations have been done at the building since it was built in 1936, but for $236K, that must be one heck of a water closet.
As part of the renovation, workers modernized and upgraded the plumbing, mechanical and lighting systems in the bathroom of the Executive Suite. The modernization is part of a larger $243 million makeover of The Main Interior Building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems in all of its office spaces.
Because the Secretary’s Office is in an identified historic zone, Interior worked with a Historical Preservation Officer from the General Services Administration “to ensure that work was appropriate and costs were reasonable.” Surprisingly, the project came in $26,000 below the GSA approved contract estimate, which, I’m not sure is a sign of government efficiency, low-balled bids, or over-inflated estimates.
Salazar says he still has some work to acomplish as Senator before he takes the helm at Interior and makes use of this lavatorial marvel. So until then, he’ll just have to make do.
Image: NCinDC via flickr under a Creative Commons License
About Timothy B. Hurst
