Thus far, the only direction taken for the proposed new Mower County Jail and Justice Center project is upwards.

Everything, that is, except a building has gone up.

From the start of the jail/justice center project seven years ago, the capacity has gone upwards and still does: From a 90-bed jail to a 128-bed facility with the capacity to be expanded to 240 beds.

The estimated cost has increased also — $30-million, then $32-million and now $35,424,674.

Only one thing has gone in the opposite direction from capacity and cost increases and that’s the square footage of the facilities: From 102,000 to 101,000 square feet.

In effect, it will cost more to build less.

One can only surmise, impatience is growing and taxpayers’ apprehension are each rising over just exactly what the final price-tag will be and how the county will pay for it.

The project has its share of strange twists and turns.

For instance, the county is attempting to acquire the Robbins block, not for development, but for constructing possibly a geothermal field to heat the new facilities, but more likely, a parking lot.

While negotiations between the two remaining property owners are still “far apart,” according to county sources, the city of Austin has its own set of related property acquisition problems, and it seems willing to spend money for the sake of — well — spending money.

Austin Medical Center – Mayo Health System realized a windfall of $416,400 for turning over it’s Usem’s Inc. property to the city to make way for the construction of the jail/justice center facilities.

AMC-Mayo got the property from the owners of Usem’s Inc. free of charge, when the dealership moved to a location near the Perkins Family Restaurant and OakPark Mall.

The money for the AMC-Mayo property purchase came from the $4.5 million allocated by the city to acquire private properties in a two-block area (Second to Fourth Avenues and First to Second Streets NE).

While the county struggles to acquire the property it needs for a geothermal and/or parking lot, the city has its own set of problems; one of which it looms heavily on everyone.

The city has agreed in an already once amended development agreement to have the two blocks ready for construction of the new facilities by Dec. 31 — just 114 days from now.

Commissioners

vote Wednesday

Against that backdrop, the county commissioners could make history of sorts in the seven-year odyssey to answer jail over-crowding and court security problems.

A special meeting will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday in the commissioners’ meeting room at the government center in downtown Austin.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the design development phase of the project and associated cost estimates.

When they finish discussing the issues, the commissioners have two choices: Reject the cost estimates and plans and start over or approve them and authorize KKE Architects, Inc. and construction manager Knutson Construction Services to proceed with development of construction documents for the purpose of taking bids on the new jail and justice center project.

Crunching

numbers

Randy Lindemann and Mike Clark of KKE Architects, Inc. and Dave Foley of Knutson Construction Services explained how the project has now reached the $35.4-million level at a meeting last Thursday (Sept. 4).

According to the trio, an investigation of the cost estimates since moving from the schematic design phase to the design development phase revealed the project has increased from $32,774,214 to $35,424,674.

Among the significant areas of increases were:

— Site acquisition costs: $2,580,000 to $2,612,100. Explanation: The county’s contribution rose from $2,700,000 to $2,762,100, while the city’s First Street Northeast reconstruction costs (It will become a one-way southbound street with parking reserved for the facility.) remains $120,000.

— Site development costs: $308,351 to $557,325.

— Building construction costs: $22,274,729 to $24,753,908.

— Furniture, fixtures, equipment, communications: Remained same at $957,326.

— Professional fees and legal: $3,028,586 to $3,272,775.

— Inflation, contingencies and other costs: $3,625,223 to $3,796,685.

At this point, the architects and construction manager estimated “probable” project cots at $35,980,118 compared to $32,774,214 when the finished the schematic design phase of their calculations 3 months ago.

The adjusted figures quoted in news accounts came after rebates and credits of $555,445 were subtracted from the “probable” project cost total.

That left the final design development phase cost estimate of $35,424,674.

According to the architects and construction manager, the cost differential between geothermal and conventional heating is now estimated at $1,200,500 compared to $817,500 3 months ago. Now, the county will also have — the architects and construction manager estimated — $55,860 for geothermal testing at two different sites.

When geothermal costs are subtracted, the new revised cost estimate is $34.138,314.

Remarks

The architects made a point to mention making more than 80 changes to the schematic design, reducing space by 1,000 square feet and keeping staffing levels — with Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi’s assistance — down despite the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ exertions otherwise.

Foley called the proposed new jail and justice center a “very simple block structure” with a “very simple design.”

According to Foley, “Between 40 and 50 of the changes identified were implemented in the design development.”

They represented a savings of $1.1-million, according to the construction manager.

The cost-cutting attempts continued after hearing what was described as “sticker shock” presentation by the architects and construction manager.

Observing Austin city officials and staff in the audience at last week’s meeting, Richard P. Cummings, 1st District and chairman of the county board, said, “I don’t suppose building permits from the city could be waived?”

How much difference the city’s building permits could make in the bonding to pay for the new facilities is anyone’s guess.

The county has pledged spending some reserves toward the project despite losing the interest monies on the anticipated $3.3-million. It has also pledged by resolution to designated its wind output tax revenues to “buying down” the amount to be bonded to pay for the facilities.

Today (Tuesday) it will consider a proposed 2009 property tax levy at its regular (morning) meeting.

When the proposed jail and justice center controversy finally seems over, it won’t be.

The county commissioners will still have the Robbins block acquisition, the law enforcement center remodeling and the Department of Human Services move from OakPark Mall to the downtown government center to

It makes the words of county commissioner Dave Hillier, 3rd District, all the more ominous. “If there is any change in three or four years we have to make, we haven’t done our job today,” Hillier said.

The commissioner’s meaning is clear: Get it right the first time.

That may be the biggest challenge of them all, because when all is said and done about the jail and justice center project, there will, indeed, be more to do.

According to architect Lindemann, “The cost of operating the jail will be nine times more than the cost to build it.”