Work Resumes on Problem-Plagued $20 Million North Carolina Jail

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Construction work resumed at the new 248-bed Albemarle District Jail after a five-month suspension ordered by county officials.

Pasquotank County officials stopped work at the $19.6 million jail in September amid concerns about construction problems at the facility. Routine inspections of ongoing construction and daily field reports identified problems and deficiencies, including missing wall reinforcements, substandard flooring, sections of hollow wall and gaps between cells, officials say.

The county reached a negotiated settlement with NC Monroe Construction to rectify construction deficiencies on the approximately 67,000-square-foot project, with the company agreeing to remedy all existing problems before recommencing new construction work, officials say.

In December, as problems mounted, project architects Brennan Associates Inc. recommended that the county terminate the contract with NC Monroe.

Citing concerns about the facility’s long-run viability, the Rural Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which provided $12 million in loan funding for the jail project, supported the recommendation to terminate.

However, following discussions with Monroe, county officials chose to continue working with company to develop, implement and verify a set of solutions to bring the facility up to standard.

Initially scheduled for completion in March 2008, the new facility will open in 2009, officials say.