County jail expansion project gets into gear

"Later this week, Kitsap County officials will open bids for approximately $8.5 million in construction work on the county jail-expansion project in Port Orchard. When the work is done, people will be able to see the beginnings of the main thing they're paying for - a new jail building that will enable the county to house 312 more inmates.William Nogle, director of administrative services for the county, said the next phase of construction will include such features as masonry, windows, roofs, elevators, electrical work and electronic security devices, to name a few. Construction is scheduled to last until the end of 2002.Previous work at the site has included virtual completion of a new maintenance building, as well as site improvements that include storm drainage, water lines and several sidewalks on Taylor Street. Officials say a new contractor will be arriving shortly to complete the interior work on the maintenance building, while last week Kitsap County commissioners approved a bid for a crucial aspect of the jail annex - construction of locks and doors.This project is a little different from other projects in that the county is acting as general contractor, Nogle said. There will be a lot of contracts awarded over the next two to three months.Also included in the expansion project is remodeling of existing facilities, such as areas for booking, laundry and medical services. To allow the remodeling to take place, those services will temporarily be moved to the new jail building once it is complete, Nogle said. Kitsap County taxpayers are footing the bill for the $25 million project after voters approved a .10 percent increase in the county sales tax. Proceeds from that portion of the tax will be used to finance bonds, which will take 25 years to pay off, Nogle said. "

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