Escambia County is negotiating with an architectural firm, to set the criteria for hiring a design and construction team to build a new county jail.
Talks are underway with Omaha, Nebraska-based DLR Group, as part of plans to replace the Central Booking Facility, which was destroyed by a gas explosion last April. Amy Lovoy, the county’s Financial Officer, says if all goes as planned the contract would be presented to the County Commission at its April 23rd meeting.
“Between now and then the selection committee, which is made up of representatives from (the county’s) facilities management, Sheriff’s Office, Corrections and the court system,” said Lovoy. “That committee needs to meet and negotiate for a host of things – the terms, and cost.”
DLR’s price tag for consultant services could be around $5 million dollars. The committee, which began work last August, reviewed submissions from five companies and ranked them one through five. The rankings were finalized earlier this month.
If a deal cannot be reached with DLR, state law requires the county to open talks with the runner up – Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum. Number three is Ricci Green Associates, with Rosser International and Strollo Architects four and five, respectively. The winning firm, says Lovoy, will work with the involved county agencies to develop specs for the jail.
Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson says the winner will help write the scope of the project. He adds that one early challenge is site specificity.
“So then they can write to that site,” said Robinson. “Probably one of the biggest things right now is to come together on a location and scope. Once we get that solved, we’ll be able to put it out for bid, award a contract and start construction.”
Ten potential sites were selected for consideration, with the list narrowed down to the current four: the Escambia Treating Superfund site; vacant property north of the Superfund site, an old concrete plant near the corner of Airport Blvd. and Palafox St., and the McDonald’s shopping center near the current county jail.
DLR officials are not commenting on the talks. But, in a letter to the county the firm’s Tim Gibson said they can build on whichever location wins out. Gibson pointed to – quote – “over 30 design criteria packages nationally and within the state of Florida.”
At this point, the projected cost of the new lockup and its nearly 1,500 beds is about $140 million. Lovoy says that figure could change, based in large part on which of the four locations is selected.