Timeline for prison outlined
Fayette County commissioners have yet to take official action as to whether a new prison will be built or a temporary women’s detention annex be leased, but a recent advertisement for architectural and engineering services indicates a timeline for both projects.
According to the two published legal notices, the county is seeking firms with experience in women’s dormitory housing projects and prison construction. The completed construction date for a new prison is October 2016.
The county is poised to issue a contract for architectural/engineering services for the construction of the new prison at the same time.
“Based on the findings of the (prison working group) and a recent study completed by the National Institute of Corrections, it was determined a new jail is needed,” states the request for qualifications.
The scope of services include correctional planning, civil/environmental engineering, survey, soil borings and geotechnical engineering, architecture, structural engineering, heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical and fire protection engineering, security/electronics engineering and transitional planning services.
The design is to be submitted to the commissioners by Dec. 16, with bidding to commence by the first of the year, a construction contract awarded by March and work under way by mid-April.
A second advertisement deals with the proposed annex to house the overflow of female inmates at the county lockup.
“The prison board and county commissioners have determined the need to provide temporary women’s housing to help ease overcrowding and cut down on the number of inmates that need to be sent to other counties at added cost to the county,” states the request for qualifications for the annex. “This facility is intended to be temporary until a new county prison can be built and occupied.”
During earlier public discussions, the commissioners have shown interest in an Iowa Street property within the city of Uniontown that was once used as a kindergarten center by the Uniontown Area School District for the annex.
The officials also plan to seek other potential sites.
However, a request for proposals has yet to be published.
In addition to architectural and engineering services for a 50-female-inmate dormitory-style facility, the work is to also include building assessment and design services should alterations be needed in compliance with the state Department of Corrections.
Firms interested in the project are required to attend a pre-proposal site visit on Sept. 11 with a contract to be awarded on Oct. 3.
After issuance of the agreement, the firm will be required to submit a schematic design of the annex by November and to award a contract to a construction firm for the work by mid-December. The work is to be completed within six months, according to the request.
Both projects evolved from an assessment being completed by the prison ad-hoc committee that has indicated that in addition to its antiquated condition, the 124-year-old lockup is overcrowded and costing the county upwards of $150,000 per month to house the excess inmates.
The county prison board has offered its support to both projects.
In conjunction with the search for architectural and engineering services, commissioners have hired Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg and Sleighter Engineering of Uniontown to conduct a formal needs assessment study of the current prison, a cost analysis should a new prison be constructed along with an evaluation of the three properties deemed to be possible construction sites.
The potential building sites include two Dunbar Township properties owned by the county and a privately owned property located in Georges Township.
The study is to be presented to the Prison Board on Sept. 25.
The bid opening for engineering and architectural services for both projects is to take place at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 in the commissioner’s meeting room. A contract is to be awarded following the opening of the bids.