Genesee County Officials were on hand on Friday morning for the installation of the first precast cell at the new county jail on West Main Street Road near County Building #2 in the Town of Batavia.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” says Sheriff WIlliam Sheron Jr.
“It’s taken since 1977 until now to build. It’s a matter of the County Manager and County Legislature, a lot of us coming together and recognizing that we are well overdue for a new jail. I know it’s a substantial cost, but it’s one of those necessary evils.”
The $70 million dollar project broke ground in the spring of 2022 and will be completed in March of 2024. It will be operational by the summer of 2024. The current jail can hold about 87 male inmates. The new jail will hold 184 total inmates, both male and female. This will be a significant cost savings to the County, not having to house female inmates at other jails around the state.
“We now have the ability to house and provide the necessary resources for those incarcerated individuals along with the employees. They are working in a 1902, 1984 facility that has outlived its life.”
County Manager Matt Landers says the project is projected to be under budget and on time. The unexpected cost of $80,000 for stainless steel flashing that was installed around the perimeter of each precast cell pod is included as a contingency cost in the $70 million dollar project. The Pike Company is the project manager.
Landers says the county is looking into uses for the current Jail and old Sheriff Administration building and are awaiting the completion of a study before deciding on what to do with the two buildings.
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