An Anderson County committee has unanimously recommended that Rouse Construction Co. of Knoxville be awarded the contract to build a 240-bed pod to help ease overcrowding at the Anderson County jail.
Rouse had submitted a bid of $9.66 million, the lowest of six proposals received, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.
The other companies that submitted bids were Messer Construction, Merit General Contractors, Denark Construction, Bell and Associates, and Johnson and Galyon Construction.
The jail expansion also includes a 128-bed minimum-security dormitory set to open this year and the creation of an “alternatives to incarceration” program for keeping offenders designated as low-risk and nonviolent out of jail, WYSH said.
Funding for the project comes from a multimillion dollar bond issue that will be repaid using revenue from last year’s 16.2-cent property tax increase.
The Anderson County Jail Planning Committee’s recommendation will now be considered by the full Anderson County Commission.
WYSH said the county has budgeted $10 million for the overhaul and expansion that also includes relocating utility lines and improving the parking lot. The current jail is certified to house 226 inmates but is chronically overcrowded.
The project will also make improvements to the jail’s intake and video visitation areas, as well as the medical clinic and laundry facility.
This story brought to you through an information-sharing agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.
Leave a Reply