Work to begin this year on Wayne County Jail's $32M renovation and expansion

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·2 min read
Lt. Mike Smucker, Ada Franks, jail administrator, and Sheriff Travis Hutchinson look at plans for future construction at the Wayne County Justice Center in front of a women's holding cell.
Lt. Mike Smucker, Ada Franks, jail administrator, and Sheriff Travis Hutchinson look at plans for future construction at the Wayne County Justice Center in front of a women's holding cell.

WOOSTER − The Wayne County Justice Center is slated to expand this year through a two-phase project that will overhaul the facility.

With an estimated price tag of around $32 million for both phases, Wayne County Commissioner Ron Amstutz said, a new building will be constructed in the jail parking lot this year. The existing jail will be renovated in 2024.

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The new building will increase the bed count to 241 by the county's estimation while also updating components like medical and mental health cells.

Testing a new contract process

As of mid-January, Amstutz said, the county is undergoing a two-stage process called Construction Manager at Risk, a project planning method to hire a construction manager.

The county is nearing the end of the first stage when it will narrow the list of prospective contractors.

"We will then initiate the second step, which involves receiving financial and more detailed proposals that will lead to selecting a specific contractor to proceed with detailed design and establishing a not-to-exceed cap for the project," Amstutz said.

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A new building will be constructed this year in the jail parking lot area of the Wayne County Justice Center as part of a jail expansion project. A new parking lot also will be put in along Larwill Street.
A new building will be constructed this year in the jail parking lot area of the Wayne County Justice Center as part of a jail expansion project. A new parking lot also will be put in along Larwill Street.

The goal, according to a jail construction update provided by Amstutz, is to advertise, contract and complete the design process in time for the 2023 construction season.

Before construction on the building can begin, he said, a new backup oil tank must be installed.

To make up for lost parking space, Amstutz said, another parking lot will be constructed along Larwill Street.

Jail expansion

The primary goal of the first phase of construction is to build an addition to the north side of the Justice Center, according to the jail update.

The parking lot in front of the Wayne County Justice Center is where a new three-story structure will be built as part of a jail expansion project.
The parking lot in front of the Wayne County Justice Center is where a new three-story structure will be built as part of a jail expansion project.

This includes entry and exit sally ports, intake and release and specialty medical and mental health cells on the ground floor.

The second floor will have 48 cells with day areas and a control center. Each cell will house two inmates to provide space for the second phase of the project.

Phase II will create dormitory-style housing in the existing jail.

To pay for the massive project, Amtutz said, the county has saved over the years, will use funds from the American Rescue Plan and, if the application process goes well, hopes to be awarded a state grant.

"We will also have to borrow money to make up the difference," Amstutz said. "But we're searching for any amount of funds because any amount helps."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County moves forward with jail expansion, renovation