Commissioners OK spending $114,000 for future county jail preconstruction services

Preparations are still ongoing and discussions being had about how to fund and build a new jail in Lorain County, the county Board of Commissioners said Friday. The board on Friday approved a $113,740 agreement with Granger Construction Company of Columbus for preconstruction services for the jail project. The work will involve cost estimating, budgeting, value engineering and scheduling. The current jail on Murray Ridge Road in Elyria was built in the 1970s and renovated in the 1990s. It has significant problems with its heating, ventilation, air conditioning and drainage, among other issues. The estimated cost of building a new jail now exceeds $100 million, according to county officials. The plan is to build it next to the existing jail and Sheriff's Office headquarters. The board has not decided how to pay for the jail, whether to issue bonds or put a tax to a vote. No matter how it's paid for, "the jail has to be built," Commissioner Jeff Riddell said Friday. "It's not an option for the citizens of Lorain County," he said. "We just have to figure out how to get it done." The Board of Commissioners set aside $20 million in 2022 to help pay for the project. Commissioner David Moore, a Republican and the only member of that board still in office, voted against that measure at the time. That money is being used and not coming out of day-to-day operations funding, Riddell said. He said he wants the building to be on-budget from the beginning. The more "shovel-ready" the project is, the more-likely it is to be eligible for federal and state funding, Riddell said. Moore said he was hesitant to vote "yes" on Friday's agreement, but agreed with Riddell. The state only allocates about $50 million annually to construction for county jails with that money divided between all 88 counties, but more funding is expected next year, Moore said. DLZ Architecture Inc. of Columbus is designing the new jail. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com