Commissioners spend nearly $1.7 million to design future jail, $750k to cool Justice Center

ELYRIA — The Lorain County commissioners on Tuesday approved nearly $1.7 million in spending on the design phase of the replacement for the aging Lorain County Jail on Murray Ridge Road in Elyria. The board authorized DLZ Architecture Inc. of Columbus to proceed with $1,678,750 worth of design development work. The current jail, built in the 1970s, was renovated in the late 1990s but has numerous heating, ventilation and air conditioning — or HVAC — concerns as well as problems with drainage. Commissioner Jeff Riddell, a Republican, said the spending is a reflection of the board's commitment to replace the jail even though it hasn't figured out how to raise the estimated $95 million to $110 million it is estimated it will cost to build a new facility. A previous board set aside $20 million for the jail in December 2022. The only remaining member of that board is commissioner David Moore, a Republican who voted against setting that money aside at the time. "While we have not yet solved the total construction financing for the jail, sufficient funds exist to go ahead," Riddell said Tuesday. He said the board hopes to get the design finished and work toward getting construction drawings. "Hopefully by the time we wrestle financing of the jail we'll be ready to put a shovel in the ground," Riddell said. In other facilities business, the board awarded a $688,900 contract to S.A. Communale Co. Inc. of Barberton for the Lorain County Justice Center cooling tower rebuilding project. S.A. Communale had the second-lowest of three bids received, but its bid was more compliant. Supply chain issues delayed the work, and the lowest bidder didn't have a bond in place "that would guarantee the work got completed if something should happen" during construction, Riddell said. Construction is expected to start by Aug. 25 and be completed within 150 calendar days, putting the completion date sometime this winter. Riddell said it also made sense to shut down the air conditioning for work in December, rather than take it out of service in July. A $750,000 grant the county received last year will pay for the work. In other business, the commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing the retirement of Pam Novak as chief financial officer of Lorain County Transit. Novak spent 39 years working for Lorain County Transit. Hired Dec. 9, 1986, as a financial assistant and office manager, she was promoted to fiscal operations supervisor in 2007 and to chief financial officer in 2022. The proclamation declared Novak to be a "caring, very cooperative and dependable worker" who displayed "dedication and kindness" and "faithful, conscientious and rewarding service" to Lorain County and all its residents. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.