Cape May to Rebid Jail Project

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — On Feb. 9, the Cape May County Board of Freeholders voted to reject all six bids it received for the construction of a new jail as all came in millions of dollars over budget. The county will rebid after modifications are made to the project to keep it within budget, reported Shore News Today.

Despite the county’s initial budget of $37 million, the lowest bid came in at $44 million. Director of Facilities and Services Anne Marie McMahon told Shore News Today that bidders believed the county’s set of specifications was one of the most complete they’d ever seen. As such, the county decided to make the changes to keep it closer to budget. McMahon added that so far they removed a women’s wing from the plan and second-floor administrative offices.

Evansburg, Pa.-based L.R. Kimball, the architect on the project, was also able to consolidate some living pods and move female inmate areas to another dorm. Additionally, the design team eliminated some spaces in the parking area, reported Shore News today. Despite the decrease in the size of the new jail footprint, it will still be able to accommodate 320 inmates.

The county has been discussing building a new jail for more than a decade, according to The Press of Atlantic City. The current jail was built in 1976 to house 114 inmates and was later renovated to hold 188. On average, it currently holds approximately 235 inmates, but that number sometimes increases to more than 300.

Once complete, the new jail will feature its own courtroom and infirmary, which will help save on inmate transportation costs. Housing areas will be divided into pods, each with its own recreation equipment to help eliminate large crowds in the jail yard. The new structure will also help consolidate the sheriff department functions, which are currently spread between three locations, reported The Press of Atlantic City. Plus, it will save on energy costs, as it will feature more efficient heating and air-conditioning systems.

The project is expected to take about 15 months to complete as the construction team is using prefabricated components to cut down on the timeline. After inmates move into the new jail, the old jail will be demolished to make room for parking.