A prison task force is hoping crews can build a fifteen hundred bed men’s prison for over $200 million less than a proposal abandoned earlier this year.
Prospective contractors say it can be done, but the facility won’t last as long.
Last November, state lawmakers got a maximum bid price of $825 million to construct a 1,500 bed men’s prison in Lincoln County.
Officials want to replace the 144-year-old prison in Sioux Falls and build a new one to last the state 100 years into the future.
Both the state and Republican controlled legislature worked for years—setting aside money and authorizing the purchase of property for the project.
But a new Republican coalition grew skeptical of the location and cost.
Now, a task force is paring down the scope of the project to see what they can get for $600 million in four different locations. Not included in those sites is the Lincoln County property the state already owns and has already spent upwards of $50 million developing.
Vance McMillan is senior vice president of JE Dunn, a contractor looking to build the state’s new prison. During the Project Prison Reset task force meeting on Tuesday, McMillan says the new parameters mean the project will not meet specifications for a 100-year facility.
“I’m just going to be honest with you. There will be pre-engineered metal buildings on that plan to make it work with that budget. So, my comment to the group is we’re up for the challenge. But you’re also going to have to be ready for—you’re kicking the can—is what I’m going to say," McMillan said. "You’re going to solve the problem of now, but you’re kicking the can that you’re going to have another problem in 40 years, 50 years, and you’re going to have to go build something again and it’s going to be twice as expensive, then.”
Some estimate the cost of the prison project will increase every year by $30 to $40 million. The day after the meeting, steel tariffs doubled to 50 percent.
The Project Prison Reset task force has one more meeting tentatively scheduled for July 8. The group wants to see what proposals JE Dunn creates. State lawmakers are scheduled for a special session on July 22 to vote on the task force’s recommendation.
