Woodbury County’s new $69 million law enforcement center will be open even later than expected.
During Tuesday’s Woodbury County Supervisor’s meeting, board members heard an update on the project. Once expected to open on Sept. 14, construction could extend into next spring.
“This is terrible news,” said Board of Supervisor Chairman Matthew Ung.
Supervisor Mark Nelson sits on the LEC Authority that oversees the project. He said Hausmann Construction says the installation of a fire prevention system is adding substantial work to the project. The new projected date for the new facility is April 9, 2024.
“They cannot proceed with ceiling work, paintwork or wall work because the fire dampening is within the walls within the ceilings," Nelson said. "And they must get that done before they can continue on."
Nelson says there is a chance the jail could open before the rest of the facility, which includes the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and courtrooms.
“But that is not set in stone,” he added.
Last week, officials said the jail, located in Sioux City, wouldn’t be ready in time but didn’t expect such a long wait. Woodbury County expected to house federal inmates starting next month, a move that would bring in around $1.2 million of extra revenue through the end of the fiscal year.
The sheriff’s office did hire 15 additional jailers to handle the increase and will do other work until the new jail finally opens.
“They’re working and helping with transport and helping in other sections of the jail and doing stuff that we haven't been able to touch because we haven't had time," said Tony Wingert, Woodbury County Chief Deputy. "We're getting things ready for the move, procuring items, and stuff like that. But we're just waiting to be told to move into the new place."
LEC Authority Chairman Ron Wieck said he doesn’t like hearing news of the delay. He told IPR News the potential cost to install heat and smoke dampers is $1.79 million and that they were not included in the original bid for the project.
“That's their estimate of the cost and the timeline on what it will take to finish the building, and we are going to be reviewing that. And we will be going back to Hausmann, I'm sure, with a modified number and a modified timeline,” Wieck said.
Wieck says due to potential litigation, he couldn’t elaborate on the situation. He shared a document with IPR News surrounding the situation.
