Lorain County Commissioner Dave Moore was dissatisfied with the design presentation of a proposed new Lorain County Jail — and with good reason — because the latest cost is millions of dollars more than the $80 million projected to build the facility.
Moore, who has been a steward of taxpayer funds since he’s been in office, has a right to question why the cost of the new facility is going to be so much more than what was projected, even with inflation.
Architectural firm DLZ Architectural Services was hired to design the new Lorain County Jail and unveiled plans May 21 in detail for the new facility during the Lorain County commissioners meeting.
The plan calls for a 466-bed lockup at a cost between $111 million and $117 million.
Moore doesn’t want to build a monument to bureaucratic spending.
So, what he heard during the presentation was unsettling.
Moore listened to a great deal about how the inmates will be served by the new jail, but not too much about the employees, who will oversee the criminals.
And maintaining proper staffing levels at the jail is a concern for Moore.
The county currently employs about 100 corrections officers, while the new jail would only require about 85.
To pay for the new jail, the commissioners are in the process of deciding whether to potentially place an additional sales tax on the November general election ballot.
Right now, Moore doesn’t feel there’s enough time to seek an additional sales tax.
County officials are also contemplating whether to fund the new facility through bonds.
Eric Gratz, project manager forDLZ Architectural Services, presented the plans which have been an ongoing project for several months.
County Administrator Jeff Armbruster, Deputy Administrator Karen Perkins, several representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and jail were involved in the designs.
As part of the project, local officials toured multiple jails across the state seeking new ideas for the Lorain County Jail.
Gratz based his estimate on next year’s bidding expectations due to inflation, however, that still doesn’t sit right with Moore.
The new jail would be split into three areas.
The general population area would include 190 beds in the first pod and 212 beds in the second pod.
A special housing unit, which would be reserved for inmates with additional needs, includes 40 beds for men and 24 beds for women.
The holding area would include six beds for men and four for women.
The facility would include a kitchen, laundry area, recreation area, medical space and visiting quarters.
Gratz included plans to attach a new juvenile detention facility as part of the building, segregated from the adults, so staff can share the medical, kitchen and laundry areas to be more efficient.
The juvenile lockup would include 50 beds, classrooms, indoor and outdoor recreation areas in addition to virtual meeting and visitation rooms.
The cost of the youth facility is estimated between $22 million and $25 million, again, based on next year’s bidding expectations.
There’s no question about it, the county needs a more modern jail.
Officials cannot continue renovating an outdated, aging structure.
Whether the county spends $200,000 or $20 million in renovation costs, the existing jail still would not meet minimum jail standards because of design flaws and cell size.
An 11-page report produced by by Hills Corrections Consulting LLC released in May 2023, stated the limited space at the current jail allotted to medical purposes and the noncomplementary and inefficient layout of the original jail and the 1997 addition make it practically impossible for medical staff to serve the population.
These deficiencies only were exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic.
That report recommended the new jail could include between 400 and 425 beds and require 42 maximum security beds.
If county officials had decided to move forward with 400 beds within 152,000 square feet, the estimated cost would have been $68,113,860.
If a larger jail was built to accommodate 425 beds using 161,500 square feet, the cost would have increased to $72,360,360.
That was a year ago.
Not even close to the now estimated cost of between $111 million and $117 million.
Hills Corrections Consulting officials visited the jail numerous times to view the facility and speak with the staff members as well as county officials.
Initially, the consulting group was asked to determine whether it was necessary to build a new facility or renovate.
The logical answer is to build a new facility.
So, Moore is justifiably right to question the increased costs of a new lockup.
