TOLEDO, Ohio — The Board of Lucas County Commissioners is not new to high construction costs, but the price tag for the new jail caused some sticker shock, said board President Pete Gerken.
"When the original engineering and construction costs came in we thought it be about $227 million. That was our budget, our range. But it came in at $290 million," Gerken said of the project on Canton Street, which broke ground last fall.
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Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre said there is a lot of movement within the building — which is the state's only pre-trial jai. But since it was constructed in the mid-1970s and has not enough necessary updates since, staying there is getting less and less feasible and safe.
"We are transferring inmates all day long, up and down elevators for recreation, for counseling services, for medical. A lot of times for video arraignment," Navarre said. "That's not the proper way to do it. That's not the way modern facilities in this country are providing security for their inmates."
He said a new jail should have more space than the six floors the current one has, including 11 housing units, more than 450 beds and a dedicated medical and mental health facility.
Gerken said what Navarre is looking for isn't hard to build. However, combining what is needed with a few additional wants is a challenge.
In most projects, the first number is usually bigger than budgeted, Gerken said. However, it does help give everyone an idea of what has to happen next: cuts.
Navarre said cuts are needed, but they're not going to compromise safety.
"We're not going to lose mental health. We're not going to lose our medical facility." he said. "The size is going to shrink in terms of square footage. But, it's not going to affect the space that's allocated for inmate population."
Gerken said there will be several wants that are now up on the chopping block. But, hopefully, a compromise can get a few of those back on the table for construction.
"There's probably $10 or $15 million in an underground parking garage. That was kind of a want. I'm sure they want to park underground. We have plenty of parking," Gerken said.
Navarre said the alternative to not building the jail and attempting to renovate the current facility is not a realistic idea. So, both parties agree it makes sense to push forward with new construction on budget. It's just a matter of timing things out properly when applying for loans and getting a good interest rate.
Gerken agreed, saying the financing for this jail will make sense without burdening taxpayers.
"We've got $10 million from the state. We got $4 or $5 million from (U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur) and the federal government. We're still going to pursue outside money, some of it's there. We're not putting out a levy to pay for the jail," he said.
Both Gerken and Navarre say there is no reason by September something can't be financially solidified. Plus, construction of the new building is expected to be finished by 2027.