PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria County is hoping to try and get the county jail through at least the next decade.
Sheriff Chris Watkins has previously addressed the needs of maintaining the more than 40 year old facility, with work that has not been done in at least ten years.
Several options have been proposed on what to do with the county jail’s future, including a proposal to build a brand new jail. In June, the county board’s Executive Committee steered away from that proposal, citing cost concerns of the about more than $200 million price tag.
On Tuesday, the Executive Committee heard a proposal from Watkins and Director of Strategic Projects and Capital Planning Melissa Woods about cost-feasible fixes that can extend the jail’s life. The top three concerns brought up by Watkins and Woods include a renovation of the kitchen and laundry areas, mechanical repairs and updates to areas such as HVAC and plumbing, and addressing mental health needs at the jail.
“Would I love a new jail? Yes,” Watkins said. “We just know that’s not feasible right now with taxpayer money. So I think right now this is to buy time so 15, 20, 25 years from now we can go to the public and say it’s time for a new jail.”
Watkins estimates that consultants could price the total costs of the three projects at around $20 million. But other options were discussed to try and lower the price tag. Those options include building the kitchen areas outside of a secure space, and using empty pod areas in the jail itself.
Tuesday’s presentation was only a discussion item, with no action taken. But the full county board must approve seeking out bids for the projects.
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