Countywide : Delay in Expansion of Jail to Cost $57,054
A court-ordered delay in the expansion of the Theo Lacey branch jail in Orange is expected to cost the county $57,054 for a contractor who was hired to build part of the facility but has been stalled since April.
Steve Blaylock, an engineer with the county General Services Agency, said the cost is to cover employee salaries and overhead for equipment committed to the project since the judge’s order on May 10. Blaylock said the county is obligated under a contract to pay for costs incurred by Construction Group Inc. during the delay.
The payment is scheduled to be decided by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting next Tuesday.
The delay was ordered by a Superior Court judge at the request of the city of Orange and Tishman West Inc., owners of a nearby commercial complex, which both oppose expansion of the jail.
The judge ordered the construction stopped until the matter is resolved in court. The case is still pending.
The county had hoped to start construction last spring and open part of the expanded facility by the end of this year. The construction is expected to increase the number of beds at the jail on the City Drive from 622 to 1,326 for about $45 million.
The expansion is a key element in the county’s plan to relieve jail overcrowding.
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