Dive Brief:
- Indiana officials, including Gov. Eric Holcomb and construction representatives opened at the Westville Correctional Facilitya $1.2 billion prison in Westville, Indiana on September 28. It is the most expensive project in the history of the state, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana.
- The construction team, Build Westville, is a joint venture between Lansing, Mich.-based Granger Construction, Indianapolis-based FA Wilhelm Construction and Terre Haute, Ind.-based Garmong Construction Services, according to a release from the governor’s office. The architect on the job is Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Elevatus Architecture, according to Granger project page.
- The 1.4 million-square-foot project will replace the current Westville Correctional Facility, originally built in 1951 as a mental health facility and turned into a prison in 1979. It will house up to 4,200 inmates, about 700 more than currently live in the space, and consolidate employees and other inmates at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to the governor’s office. Some inmates may also be sent to other facilities.
Diving knowledge:
The jail will have space for administrative functions, program services, security, medical services, food, recreation and facilities management, according to Granger’s project page. Key features of the project include:
- 18,000 square meters of classroom space.
- A professional training programming space.
- 400 beds for mental health care and addiction recovery.
- Two gymnasiums.
- A central utility plant.
The governor’s office expects the prison to be completed by early 2027. Kevin Orme, the director of construction for the Indiana Department of Corrections, echoed that target date, but told Construction Dive that could change as the project begins.
“We’re just getting started. There are a lot of variables, so all of that will become clear as the project evolves,” Orme said.
As work begins on the Westville facility, another major prison project has run into trouble. The cost of a new jail in Elmore County, Alabama, has rose to $1.08 billionthe Associated Press reported on September 28. Montgomery, Ala.-based Caddell Construction is building the project, according to Contractor News, which said the state contracted Caddell at a cost of $623 million.
The overflow will eat up the total of $1.3 billion the state promised in 2021 for the Elmore County jail, along with another in Escambia County, which included money from the COVID-19 relief funds. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey blamed inflation for the latest jump in costs, AP reported.
