Dustin Racioppi

State House Bureau, @dracioppi

Governor Christie announced Tuesday that the State House will immediately begin a four-year, $300 million renovation.

Christie also insisted, again, that he does not plan to leave the State House to join president-elect Donald Trump's administration. Dozens of reporters flocked to his 11:30 "press announcement" - originally billed as a press conference - amid unending speculation that he is under consideration for a White House job.

"For some reason people think I'm equivocal on this, and I'm not. I am completing my term," Christie said.

The announcement had initially been listed as "open," meaning Christie might have taken questions from the media. But a revised schedule later said the "event will have no press availability." Christie hasn't held an availability with State House reporters since September, when two former associates were put on trial in the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal. Christie has also kept a relatively low public profile since then, holding a little more than a dozen public events in New Jersey — a rate of about one a week compared with the three, sometimes four public events he held during some weeks earlier this year, after dropping out of the presidential primary race.

Stile: Christie's State House - and career - makeover

Christie's future in New Jersey and with President-elect Donald Trump has been a constant source of speculation over the last several weeks. He led Trump's White House transition effort but then was replaced days after Trump's surprise win over Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Christie, once a top contender to be Trump's running mate, had been reported as a possible choice for attorney general or chief of staff, but Trump quickly filled those positions after replacing Christie as transition chairman.

Christie said the State House renovations are long overdue. Opened in 1792, it is the second-oldest continuously operating State House in the country. But it is filled with code violations, has leaky windows that waste energy and uses a patchwork heating and air-conditioning system that presents not only a quality of life issue for workers, Christie said, but compromises both safety and equipment.

"The building, in short, is subject to catastrophic failure in many, many places," he said.

The project will require a complete evacuation expected by July, he said.