DeKalb County Commissioners voted Monday night to request updated cost estimates for building a new jail at its current downtown location before proceeding with plans for the Smith Road site.
Commissioner Steve Cantrell said the county’s architectural firm is re-examining the downtown site to see if the project could be built more efficiently. Cantrell said the firm indicated a redesign could potentially utilize more of the property than previously thought, which might result in a two-story structure.
“My recommendation is that we wait,” Cantrell said, “Have what we promised the public, another public hearing, so that they can hear what the options are.”
DeKalb County Mayor Patrick Ray said the commission received a preliminary estimate provided by Bell Construction for a 190-bed facility on the existing site totaling some $64.8 million. Ray said this figure includes a 12 percent cost increase projected through 2028 but excludes the cost of land.
The commission approved an amendment from Commissioner Judith Hale specifying that any new figures obtained for the downtown site or other locations would be non-binding cost estimates only. Hale said the county should also consider 15 acres of land near the transfer station as a potential site.
“I just do not want to lock us in to Smith Road,” Hale said. “We just need to quit spending money on that property until we know for sure what our plans are.”
Commissioner Mathias Anderson said the county is already prepared to put the Smith Road project out for bid to get actual construction quotes. Anderson said the timing of the new downtown estimates should align with an upcoming budget committee meeting in three weeks.
“We’d move forward with the Smith Road bidding process to get accurate quotes while at the same time the architect is working on a redesign at the downtown location,” Anderson said. “At that point, it’s like within a month, we would have good estimates at Smith Road and updated estimates for the downtown property.”
Ray said no dirt will be moved at the Smith Road property until the commission reviews the results of the bidding process. Ray said the only immediate activity planned for that land is routine maintenance.
“The only thing that like I said that will happen over there is I’m gonna send somebody over there to bush hog it,” Ray said. “But before we do push any dirt, that’d be the first thing that’ll happen over there, we’ll come back before the commission.”
In other business, the commission voted to put a farm lease for the Smith Road property out for public bid.
