The pair of 15-foot-tall, 7,500-pound bronze medallions should be looking buff when they're rehung above the Capitol's mauka and makai entrances this summer.

That new look will come at a cost of $341,590 and is part of a more than $1.7 million makeover at the Capitol, expected to be completed before the state marks the 50th anniversary of statehood on Aug. 21.

The two recently removed seals now are on the makai side of the Capitol, behind 'Iolani Palace, where they'll be cleaned and coated before being rehung on new chains. Not far away, under a tent in the Capitol rotunda, a German company is installing Italian glass mosaic tiles. The cost of that project is more than $1.4 million.

Planning for the partially aesthetic-oriented Capitol renovation projects began several years ago when the economy was booming and the state was enjoying a budget surplus. Today, Hawai'i's economy is flagging, tourism arrivals are down and the state is grappling with a major budget deficit.

Starting next month, Gov. Linda Lingle plans to furlough state workers three days a month for two years in an effort to save the state $688 million to help with a budget deficit.

At least one group has criticized the state for spending on Capitol renovations when money is so tight.

"The private sector is laying off employees and the public sector is now looking at these furloughs. Is that really a good way to spend (money) in this current economic climate? I would say that it's not," said Jamie Story, head of the free-market advocate Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

The timing of the Capitol renovations was driven by nonaesthetic reasons, said state Comptroller Russ Saito. In the case of the seals, they're being cleaned because a consultant recommended replacing the chains for safety reasons.

"We're replacing the chains to make sure everything is up to snuff," Saito said. "Since we have the seals down anyway, (we're going) to have them cleaned and resealed. Right now, it's so dark that you cannot even make out what it says from the street."

REMOVAL COSTLY

Cleaning and resealing the solid bronze seals is costing the state $64,000, he said. The rest of the project costs cover erecting and removing needed scaffolding twice, replacing the chains and removing and installing the medallions, Saito said.

The massive state seals have been cleaned before, though it's unclear if they were ever removed since they were originally hung on March 2, 1969.

The state seal, which features King Kamehameha I on one side and a goddess of liberty on the other, was officially adopted in 1959. The design is derived from the Kamehameha coat of arms.

Also, the state is spending more than $1.4 million renovating the Capitol's feature glass tile mosaic.

The 36-by-36-foot circular mosaic that adorns the floor of the Capitol atrium was created by Hawai'i artist Tadashi Sato. It is called "Aquarius" and depicts submerged rocks and water reflections.

Among the companies working on the mosaic is Munich, Germany-based Franz Mayer, which received a nonbid $427,000 contract to install the hand-drawn and -cut glass mosaic tiles at the Capitol. It's at least the second time the mosaic has been restored.

Saito, the comptroller, said the tile project, which was approved by the Legislature, was partially a result of a problem with water pooling on the mosaic. In addition to destroying the artwork, the water would leak into the auditorium below, he said.

OTHER EXPENSES

Separately, the state recently spent $315,000 installing protective glass tinting at the Capitol. The state also has an ongoing $245,000 contract with a company responsible for treating a recurring algae problem in the reflecting pool that surrounds the Capitol. And in May, the state awarded a $308,000 contract to create a sculpture garden for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which is housed just 'ewa of the Capitol. That contract, which covers design and planning, is paid for by arts projects funds that are set aside by contractors that build buildings for the state.

Saito said capital improvement projects, which are funded by bond sales, are good for the economy because they help keep people employed.

"It stimulates the economy, so we are really pushing (construction) projects so we can sort of stimulate the economy," he said. "It's not a negative at all."