Too Costly at $44 Million…Freeholders OK Rebid of Correctional Center

CREST HAVEN – Freeholders decided to seek new bids for a replacement of the Cape May County Correctional Center at the Feb. 9 meeting.
That’s because six bids came in around $44 million for a building originally projected to cost $37 million, said Facilities and Services Director Ann Marie McMahon.
After design modifications, which included eliminating a female dorm on the second floor and reconfiguring it, and eliminating that floor altogether, the cost is projected at $35 million, she said.
By eliminating that floor, also cut was the need for elevators and stairways, McMahon said.
Each pod will house 64 inmates under supervision of one correction officer, McMahon said. The manner in which the center is designed will afford medium and maximum inmates as well as a space for females.
Designed by the Bridgewater architectural firm L.R. Kimball, the center is designed to hold 320 inmates. The firm’s website states it has designed over 150 correctional facilities in 17 states with over 50,000 beds. It further states that it has earned national recognition from the American Correctional Association as well as the American Institute of Architects.
The present correctional center, designed to hold 188 inmates, routinely holds 230-240 she said. Those figures are confirmed by daily reports produced by the facility.
McMahon said the fact that virtually all six bids submitted were close to $44 million proved that there were facets that could be trimmed to meet the budget.
Another factor that adds to the construction cost, McMahon said, is the county’s “project labor agreement” which goes in force whenever a project exceeds $5 million. That agreement states that the construction jobs will be performed by union labor, which may add a minimum of 10 percent to the price of the project.
While the project has been slightly downsized, that meant no extra permitting was needed to comply with the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA).
Once the new facility is completed, the former structure will be demolished. In that space, more parking will be provided.
It is expected that the construction will take place in about 15 months. The structure, including cells will be pre-cast, McMahon said.
To get a better idea of what the proposed correctional center would resemble, McMahon traveled to Ocean County to inspect its correctional center. She said the county facility will “mirror” that structure.
A facet of the center that drew praise from the state Department of Correction was a separate juvenile facility, completely apart from the adult facility.
“We never had a situation to receive juveniles,” said McMahon. If that section is not used for juveniles, it could be used to segregate high-profile inmates who cannot be housed with the general population.
Also, to meet the state’s new bail reform, which means a person will have to go before a judge within 24-48 hours, the center will have a courtroom so that the courthouse on North Main Street will not have to remain open on weekends, which would cost $168,000 annually, exclusive of sheriff’s officer staffing for security.
“Now they (courts) want the courtroom back?” asked Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton. Yes, replied McMahon after having talked with Ted Kammer, the court’s liaison.
“Just when you had all the answers they changed the questions?” asked Vice Director Leonard Desiderio.
“We won’t have to keep the main courthouse open because of bail reform?” Thornton asked. Yes, McMahon affirmed. The court must be accessible all the time, and since the new correctional center will be a “secure facility” and, with the use of teleconferencing, a judge will be able to hear a case without having to take the prisoner to the courthouse.