County manager’s picks: Jail, DSS building top list

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@Salisburypost
County commissioners will soon face big decisions on three big ticket items ó a central office for school administration, a new jail, and an expanded facility to house all Social Services.
County Manager Gary Page is lining up the projects so the new board of commissioners can decide what will be completed. The projects are expected to total about $20 million but could cost more.
Shortly after newly elected commissioners are sworn in on Dec. 1, they will vote on borrowing $10 million to get at least two of the projects going. The quick action is necessary to get Local Government Commission approval and beat a Dec. 31 financing deadline. Otherwise, the county would have to use Certificates of Participation financing, which the county has stayed away from because of huge processing fees.
Page will recommend the county go forward with the Social Services building and the jail. And he will let the board of commissioners decide if the school office is a must.
As bad as the economy is, crime goes up, demand on the jail is more,” Page said. “When times are bad, demand for Social Services programs go up.
There are some things we can’t put on the back burner, some things we don’t have a choice, the jail and the DSS are two of them,” Page said.
“While the news of the economy is generally bad, it appears to be a good time to build.
Earlier this month, the county opened bids on the Social Services renovation and expansion project. The low bid came in $1 million under the expected price.
The bidding process drew 12 companies, with R.L. Casey of Greensboro submitting the low bid of $4.1 million.
When we saw the numbers, we realized we can get the building we want, the furnishings at significant savings,”” Page said.
The project involves renovating the mental health portion of the Health Services Building on Faith Road and adding additional space to create around 50,000 square feet to house Social Services staff now housed at four locations.
Commissioners will likely vote on the contract and the financing at the Dec. 1 meeting.
Jail issue
Page is preparing to lay out three options for new jail space and hopes the board will make a decision early next year.
Earlier this year, the state threatened to close the Rowan County Detention Center because of severe overcrowding. At the time, the jail was averaging 265 to 294 inmates daily while it has a capacity of 162.
Work has begun on finishing a 48-bed pod in the Detention Center, but the state is continuing to push for action on providing more jail space.
The three basic options include:
– Build a multi-story addition in the downtown at Liberty Street;
– Build an interim or temporary facility on Airport Road;
– Build a permanent jail section on Airport Road with plans to eventually move most of the Detention Center to that location.
Both of the Airport Road concepts would involve a 120-bed dormitory style facility for less violent offenders. The permanent version would utilize a pod concept that is gaining favor across the country. It allows expansion as needed.
Sheriff George Wilhelm has said repeatedly he wants to move the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center out of downtown, utilizing the existing jail space for the most violent offenders.
Page said a downtown addition would be the most costly. It would take up scarce parking space on the Liberty Street side of the Justice Center and possibly require construction of a parking deck.
A dormitory-style facility would be the least expensive, but could still cost $6 million or more.
Delaying the jail project is not an option. The county recently received another letter from the state after an inspection cited the continued overcrowding.
“We have to start something in the spring,” Page said, adding the state will give the county time as long as it demonstrates progress.
School administration
Work is already under way on evaluating the former Winn-Dixie building on Jake Alexander Boulevard as an office to house all administration staff for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools.
Page recently selected a Charlotte architectural firm, S.C. Hondros & Associates to do the evaluation.
Page said Hondros specializes in commercial and institutional projects. Cabarrus County Schools used the firm to design/build its new administration building on N.C. 49. The 40,000-square-foot building consolidated 90 administration employees.
The firm began work on Oct. 17 and is expected to take four to five weeks to complete the task.
The company will look at how to put the 150-plus school employees in the 42,600-square-foot building and whether additional space will be needed.
School officials are in favor of adding a 16,000-square-foot, two-story addition.
The evaluation will also be looking at the wiring, heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing, storm water drainage and all aspects of the project. The report will also include firm estimates on costs and various options.
Page said he expects to have a report for commissioners by the Nov. 17 meeting, but the new board will make the decision on whether to go forward with the project.