Construction costs rose, so the size of the new jail is scaled back
By Debra Moore
With project costs rising by 45 percent over 18 months, the Plumas County jail construction project has been scaled back. That’s the message Cameron Glass, of CGL, delivered to the board of supervisors last week. The county hired CGL in 2017 for architectural and construction management services.
“Your project went up 45 percent in a year and a half,” Glass said. “We worked with the design build team to deliver all of the components you said you were going to do” which included a day reporting center, medical facility, class space, and more. While all of the components will be there — they will be smaller — by a combined 15,000 feet.
In response to a question posed by Supervisor Tom McGowan, Glass said that the project went from 35,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet, resulting in an efficient building with no wasted space.
McGowan was also curious about how the increased costs would impact the budget, since the county is working with a $25 million state grant to build the structure. Glass said they are working within the budget, and Plumas isn’t the only county in this situation.
The county broke ground on the facility on Aug. 10, 2022 and at the time Sheriff Todd Johns said he hoped it would be ready for residency in the summer of 2024. Then the snows came. Glass presented some images of the construction site covered in snow, and he explained how crew used blankets to keep the concrete warm. “There have been some construction issues,” he said of the inclement weather’s impact. As a result, the schedule has slipped a little, but he said it’s still within the state reimbursement window (which is three years from the start of construction).
Glass said he would be providing monthly written updates and quarterly in-person updates to the board.
The new jail will be adjacent to the old facility off of Abernethy Lane in East Quincy. It’s also bordered by the Little League fields and Public Works.
