Renderings for the proposed new Penobscot County jail could be available by the end of the year.
It was among the updates that roughly 30 town leaders heard from Penobscot County officials on Thursday as they discussed the jail and county budget. Estimates of the number of beds and cost were shared during the about 2-hour long meeting.
They were the first public updates in months on the years-long process to build a new jail. The information comes after the county entered into a contract to buy property in Hampden at the Ammo Industrial Park in July.
The new jail, which must be approved by voters, will have between 250 and 300 beds, Penobscot County Commissioner Andre Cushing said. That estimate includes beds for medical, detox, holding and general population, he said.
There are roughly 260 people held by Penobscot County now, Morton said. That includes people with a variety of medical needs and security risks, meaning not everyone can be housed side by side, he said.
It’s unclear how much the county believes the jail would cost. A 20-year bond of $75 to 80 million with a “somewhat aggressive interest rate” would be a payment of about $5 million a year, Adkins said.
Haley Ward, a consulting firm, has surveyed the site and tested soil on the 30-acre property. At least 15 acres are suitable to build on, Cushing said. The site is a former gravel pit, he said.
The engineering company has a contract with a company that builds modular jails, and renderings are expected to be done in mid-November.
Commissioners had a presentation in February from RQAW
