Temporary Jail Construction Commences in Kansas City

Modular steel cells have arrived at the site of the new temporary jail in Kansas City, Mo. | Photo Credit: KCTV5

• Construction of Kansas City’s new temporary, modular jail is ongoing after officials approved an additional $3.83 million to support the project.
• Groundwork is complete, materials are on site and crews have begun installing modular steel cells; the city is targeting a June 1 opening.
• The temporary jail is part of a broader detention strategy ahead of increased demand tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, as the city weighs how it fits alongside the in-progress Jackson County detention center and plans for a future permanent city facility.

Construction is progressing on a new temporary, modular jail in Kansas City, Mo., after local officials approved an additional $3.83 million in funding for the project last week.

According to reporting from KCTV5, groundwork at the site started before the new year and is now complete, and materials for the rest of the work have arrived on site as crews have started to put the modular steel cells for the project in place. Ensuing work will include building the steel structure and finishing the facility by its targeted June 1 opening date.

The extra funding was granted to enhance safety features in the new facility’s sally port area, as well as expand infrastructure for medical services. Along with the awarding of additional funding, officials also approved the waiving of building efficiency requirements stipulated by the city for new construction projects over 5,000 square feet.

Once completed, the 54,000-square-foot temporary facility will house more than 100 beds for those charged with municipal offenses in Kansas City across 32 new modular cells, provided by SteelCell.

The temporary jail isn’t the only detention facility project in the works in the Kansas City area. The city has not had its own jail since 2009 and has been sending municipal offenders to be housed in jails in neighboring counties over the past 16 years. While construction of a new $300 million detention center is currently underway in Jackson County, which seats most of Kansas City’s territory, the city has also resolved to build its own facility adjacent to the new Jackson County facility site.

In April of last year, Kansas City voters approved a sales tax renewal that would fund the new permanent facility, which is expected to cost $250 million. However, with the city set to host matches during the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer, local officials sought a faster solution to meet the anticipated increase in detention needs from the influx of visitors to the area.

In October, the Kansas City Council approved $22 million in funding to build the temporary jail, sourced from the sales tax renewal approved earlier that year.

The Jackson County facility broke ground in 2020 and is expected to be completed this year. While the city purchased land for the new permanent facility in November, construction isn’t expected to begin until 2027 at the earliest — and some believe that the temporary facility, along with the ongoing Jackson County project, could satisfy the city’s detention demands for years or even decades to come.

In fact, last week, the city council voted to scrap plans to build the permanent facility at the previously chosen site, with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Mario Vasquez saying that the city could save up to $25 million by building the new facility on the same site as the temporary jail, according to reporting from FOX 4.

“I think that what we’re going to do is make sure we deliver a facility that’s humane, one that is a value to the taxpayer and that fulfills our public safety and detention goals,” Mayor Lucas said after the most recent environmental waiver was approved.

Brown & Root Industrial Services is building the temporary jail.