You get a feeling the Wayne County Jail is going to be a story for a long time to come.
The latest: Steve Pardo of the Detroit News reports that the county is suing contractor AECOM, the jail project manager, for $154 million, alleging errors and delays doomed the project that was running about $90 million over its $300 million budget.
Pardo reports:
Among the allegations: Original plans lacked doors for jail cells, included faulty concrete and didn’t properly design security cameras for the jail.
The problems and unauthorized changes pushed construction costs to $270 million from $220 million, according to the suit filed late Wednesday in Third Circuit Court.
Meanwhile, WXYZ's Heather Catallo reports that Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert has offered $50 for the site and nearby buildings and has grand plans.
Catallo reports:
Gilbert’s $50 million plan includes turning the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice into condos and lofts, complete with commercial retail space. The old Division II jail would become a hotel. Rock Ventures then wants to convert the Division I jail into a residential tower.. and turn the Juvenile Detention Facility into Brownstone-style homes. And on the site of the controversial new jail… an entertainment venue and parking structure would replace the half-built concrete walls and jail cells. It’s all just steps away from Gilbert’s own Greektown Casino.. and not far from his dozens of other downtown Detroit properties. -- A.L.
