By LAUREL BEAGER
LBeager@cherryroad
A group gathered behind the Koochiching County Courthouse Tuesday morning as heavy equipment dug into the ground, beginning the construction of a new county jail and Law Enforcement Center.
Before digging shovels into the dirt in a symbolic gesture Tuesday, Koochiching County Board Chairman Jason Sjoblom and Sheriff Perryn Hedlund spoke about the need that has grown over the years, with the aim to provide a safer and more efficient facility for inmates, staff and members of the public.
They both credited former county commissioners, including Wade Pavleck, who was in attendance, for understanding the need to improve the jail facility, and beginning to plan several years ago.
They also credited an over site committee that handled many details of the plan.
“We are being proactive,” Sjoblom said. “We are moving forward in the right direction.”
Hedlund credited the current board for investing in the community with the project.
“It’s also an investment into our staff, who currently work in a jail that is outdated and unsafe for them and the inmates,” Hedlund said.
Pavleck watched with a smile on his face the start of the construction with his wife Carol.
“It’s progress,” he said. “I can remember when we built that one, when Jim Laurent and I think Bill Elliott were involved, and that was many years ago and it took care of things for all these years, but now we need more” he said. “Counties are required to put the mandates in that are required.”
The original jail was built in 1978 but can no longer meet state standards for safety and security. After considering options, the plan was in place to construct a new one-story 21,000-
square-foot facility east of the judicial portion of the courthouse building.
The new facility will include 40 beds in 20 cells, holding cells, special management cells, and a 5,000-square-foot Sheriff’s Office, sallyport, and judicial connection. The new facility will also include a larger intake area for the safe processing of inmates, a secure holding area for courtroom appearances, additional space for medical care and mental health programs, and new spaces to enable inmates to walk to court without traveling through public spaces.
Construction is expected to take about 16 months, with substantial completion in October 2025.
Officials say the timeline includes staff training, occupancy, and inspection and approval from the state Department of Corrections – a requirement for all new jails as they are highly specialized buildings with critical safety requirements. Minor construction started earlier with the removal and storage of the Veterans Memorial and the rerouting of the Seventh Avenue storm sewer behind the courthouse.
Estimated at $26.5 million, the new facility addresses concerns raised by the Department of Corrections about the existing facility. The new jail will use a pod-style jail, which increases visibility, making inmate transfers safer, reducing the potential of claims, lowering the cost of insurance, improving the efficiency of distributing food or medicine, and improving classification. The existing jail is set up in a linear design.
That cost includes construction, contingencies, permitting, site services, general conditions, furniture, professional fees and other costs.
“The county is committed to spending public taxpayer dollars wisely and a decision such as building a new facility was made with careful consideration,” county officials said in a statement to the Rainy Lake Gazette.
The jail is financed with the issuance of two series of bonds: general obligation jail bonds in 2022 and 2024 with interest at 3.23 percent and 4.07 percent and terms of 20 and 24 years. The county is contributing additional dollars to finance the project.
The bonds will be paid by Koochiching County landowners through their property. County officials estimate that a residential home valued at $150,000 in the county will see a tax increase of $10.70 per month or $128 per year; on a home valued at $250,000 the estimated tax increase is $19.83 per month or $238 per year.
There is now no plan for the future use of the existing jail and law enforcement center, but the County Board will continue to explore all options, officials noted.
