Jackson County jail price could jump more than $60 million. Lawmakers must find a fix

Jackson County officials recently learned the cost to build a new jail might be escalating — dramatically.

The size of the increase is murky, but substantial. “Nothing’s on paper,” one legislator told us, confirming that cost discussions are now underway.

What is clear, increasingly, is that the county must redouble efforts to find partners, including the city of Kansas City, who can share some of the cost of building the facility.

In June, county legislators were told a jail with 1,244 beds — the recommended size — would cost $256.5 million. That was the commitment when JE Dunn-Axiom was chosen as the design-build contractor for the jail.

The price is now wavering. “It is apparent that the program and design criteria will not be able to be constructed for the $256.5 million budget,” the county was told in a September report.

“Options for consideration are to increase budget beyond what was previously anticipated or reduce the scope of the project,” the notice said.

There does not appear to be any single reason for the increase. Materials costs, supply chain difficulties and labor costs have risen, as most builders know. The design may be too complicated.

Legislators held a closed meeting recently to discuss the news. Some concluded it could take $320 million to build the promised jail, roughly 30% higher than the June price. A final, new “guaranteed” price is expected Oct. 26.

In a statement, a Jackson County public information officer said the $320 million figure is “inaccurate,” but she did not offer a different number. The county continues to work on a design to meet the $256.5 million budget, the statement said.

It would be a huge mistake for Jackson County to reduce the number of planned beds to save money. The new jail is a 50-year investment. Current projections say the county will need 1,366 beds by 2050, which means taxpayers might need to add space in the years to come.

Some county legislators are angry and frustrated at the potential cost escalation. They say the builder committed to a maximum price of $256.5 million for a 1,244-bed facility and should be held to that promise, or the entire project should be put back to a new bidding process.

The county may want to consider that step, even if it delays the jail’s opening.

Jackson County needs a modern detention center, as planned, with space for more than 1,200 inmates. A quality facility should be nonnegotiable, and the contractor should not be allowed to dramatically reduce the facility’s capacity in order to meet its promised price.

There is another way.

In June, Kansas City Manager Brian Platt wrote Jackson County Executive Frank White and Sheriff Darryl Forte, offering to explore cooperation between the city and county over jail construction and operation. “The city prefers a single shared facility but is willing to explore any and all options,” Platt wrote.

“The city does not necessarily have a construction budget at this time,” he wrote, “but will work to find funds as needed depending on the path chosen.”

According to Mayor Quinton Lucas, and county legislators, Jackson County’s leadership never responded.

That continuing intransigence is now more harmful than ever. If Jackson County needs more money to complete a modern jail facility, it should look to Kansas City — and other municipalities, for that matter — to help with costs, in exchange for providing beds for municipal inmates.

And time is running out. Jackson County has already broken ground on the new jail, and construction work will soon begin. There is still time to adjust the final design, but soon the facility will be — dare we say it — locked in place.

More discussion is planned. The county could reconsider the construction contract at the end of October, one legislator told us. That review is now essential. The jail must also seek a special use permit from Kansas City, and that process is an opportunity for important questions about the project.

If the county has a better idea for covering any cost overruns, it should make that strategy public. Jackson Countians should not accept anything less than what they were promised just a few months ago.

This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 4:53 PM.