The unfinished new Wayne County jail sits in downtown Detroit, almost as a shrine representing failed government. Cost overruns stopped the project in the middle of construction.
Now, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans wants to rescue the project that began under the watch of Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano.
Robert Snell of Crain's Detroit Business writes:
Wayne County will consider two options to salvage a $200 million unfinished jail project in downtown Detroit that was scrapped due to soaring costs, Executive Warren Evans said Thursday.
The announcement comes after county commissioners Thursday approved an interim deal to settle a lawsuit involving the county and two contractors who worked on the 1,976-bed jail project.
The county will consider two smaller options to finish the jail project, one for a 1,944-bed facility and one for a smaller 1,504-bed jail at the site, located at Gratiot Avenue and St. Antoine Street. Both options would include a tunnel linking the site to the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice and cost as much as $175 million, Evans said.
The options could push total construction costs to $375 million before the county spends money furnishing and equipping the jail.
