The meetings of the Escambia Board of County Commissioners are circular events. Ideas, opinions and facts go round and round, and sometimes a decision pops out.
Such was the case in today’s discussion of the Escambia County Jail (“Castle Greyskull”) at the Committee of the Whole. The BCC needs to decide whether to repair and renovate the Main Jail and the Central Booking & Detention Center or build new facilities elsewhere in the county.
The cost of 1,476-bed facility, which would replace both main jail and CBD, is $160.9 million. The cost to replace only the CBD is $76.9 million.
The cost to renovate the Main Jail and repair the CBD is $108.8 million.
The county expects to get $67.3 million from FEMA and already has $8 million allocated to a mail jail modifications so the net costs would be:
1476-bed: $85.7 million or 697-bed facility: $1.6 million or Renovate both: $33.5 million
Where could the county build a new jail campus that would house jail, CBD and other corrections offices?
1. Palafox/Airport: Cost $3 million for Southern Prestressed Concrete $4.5 million for entire block
2. McDonald Property (old strip center @ corner of Fairfield and Pace): $3 million but owners want $10 million.
3. North of Superfund site on Palafox: No appraisals. Might get property at no cost from DEP/EPA.
Assistant County Administrator Amy Lovoy told the commissioners that its insurance carrier believes the old CBD, which exploded in April 2014, can be repaired. This got the BCC in a discussion on the costs of removing the laundry, kitchen and other facilities out of the basement area and placing elsewhere in the building or off-site.
The board questioned whether the county needs a 1,476-bed facility since lawmakers, judges and others are looking a sentencing and jail reform. County Administrator Jack Brown said county cannot control incarcerations. The jail currently has 1,511 inmates and has been at the 1,500-level for some time.
The board did agree to have staff send out a Request for Proposal for a temporary facility to house prisoners while the jail construction is done. The county is currently spending $223,000 a month to house prisoners in Santa Rosa and Walton counties. By building a temporary jail facility, the county would save nearly $4 million until the new or renovated jail opens in 2018.