Miami County Chooses Lloyd Builders for New Jail Project

PAOLA, Kan. — The Board of Miami County Commissioners, based in Paola, chose Lloyd Builders of Ottawa, Kan., in mid-October to serve as the construction manager at-risk for the county’s new jail project. It was one of four companies interviewed for the project and one of eight companies that originally submitted qualifications.

The commissioners had a hard time deciding between the expertise, experience and reliability of New York-headquartered Turner Construction, the largest company of the final candidates, and the local connection and ease of communication with the smaller Lloyd Builders of Ottawa and Universal Construction of Lenexa, reported The Miami County Republic.

Lloyd Builders will work with St. Joseph, Mo.-based Goldberg Group Architects, the firm designing the new county jail on the site of the existing parking lot on the south side of the Miami County Administration Building.

The construction manager at-risk will oversee the entire project, from working with the architect on designs to coordinating subcontractors. The project also involves demolition of nearby structures and construction of new parking.

The new detention center will replace the current aging county jail adjacent to the courthouse, according to the county commissioners’ request for qualifications. The new facility will be between 35,000 and 45,000 square feet of new construction, and will cost a maximum of $12.6 million.

The architect showed the commissioners early floor plans for the facility in October. The designs mapped out three levels: a ground floor, first floor and second floor. The facility would include a sallyport enclosed by a fence to give deputies a secure place to transfer inmates and suspects in and out of the facility.

Other features include an elevator leading straight to a tunnel, which will be used to transfer inmates from their second-floor holding cells across the street to the Miami County Courthouse for hearings. A dispatch station, emergency operations room, community room, evidence room, conference room, locker rooms, exam room, program room and attorney visitation room also are designed to be a part of the facility.

The main detention area will be on the second floor and house 96 beds. Each cell will hold two inmates, reported The Miami County Republic. No set date for completion has yet to be reported.