An update was given to Midland County Commissioners at their bi-monthly meeting the week of Oct. 16 by county planners on the new jail that is set to begin construction.
Director of Public Works Andrew Avis was one of the presenters who showcased blueprints and renderings to the commissioners.
According to Avis, they are starting to get closer to the construction phase.
“We’re at about 85% complete planning, we are beyond the design and development phase and working toward the construction and document phase," Avis said. "So as we get closer to that fruition, we wanted to update the court on our status and present the path moving forward."
The new jail will be located around County Roads 1140 and 110, which is about five miles from the current jail.
With a new site, comes some new perks that the current jail doesn't have.
“For one, it's got a mental health area to hold inmates that need that type of care. It also has a medical bay that can facilitate basic medical needs for inmates," Avis said. "It's got more space and more beds based on the jail commission's assessment on how many Midland needs."
There will be up to 800 new beds in the new jail, a bump up from 500 at the current jail.
Avis said more beds are required because space at the county jail is becoming rather limited due to the growth rates of Midland rising parallel to incarceration rates.
“Right now, we are near capacity. Here we are in 2023 at near capacity, and we have 2030 and 2040 projections by the jail commission that say we are going to need more beds in the future," Avis said. "The planning and construction take so long that we need to start planning about the future rather than the current.”
Speaking of the future, construction may begin sooner rather than later.
Engineer stamp drawings are estimated to be approved by January.
After that, the dominoes can begin to fall into place for the jail.
“There’s about a four month in between, between design and construction to finalize cost and schedule," Avis said. "At that point, we'll start construction, and it’s approximately 30 months to build the jail.”
The jail is estimated to have a projected budget of around $170 million. The county will have more discussions on the best ways to pay for it, which include using the county budget, go out for a bond or get a certificate of obligation.