Beltrami County’s New Jail Breaks Ground
By Fay Harvey
BEMIDJI, MINN— On Sept. 25, Minnesota’s Beltrami County officially broke ground on the Beltrami County Adult Corrections Center after years of planning, preparation and community involvement.
The groundbreaking comes five years after the Minnesota Department of Corrections issued a notice to Beltrami County mandating that investments and improvements be made to the county’s jail to keep it up and running. After years-long deliberation between Beltrami County, commissioners, consultants and engineers, county officials reached the decision to replace the jail entirely.
The $80 million project will be funded by a five-eighths (0.625) percent local option sales tax as approved by Beltrami County voters, with the first phase of preliminary design services costing $48,000. Phases II and III are centered on schematic design, and Phase IV entails procedures, policies and commissioning documentation. Beltrami County has contracted Klein McCarthy Architects for the renovation.
The new facility will address issues such as overcrowding, violence and substance abuse. Programs focused on mental health care, treatments for substance abuse, and avoiding recidivism and enhance reintegration will be offered within the facility, improving safety for staff members and inmates.
Construction is projected to begin in spring 2025, with completion concluding before the end of 2027.