New $100 million Fresno County jail annex expected to open. Why was there 3-year delay?
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It’s three years behind schedule and cost taxpayers $100 million, but the West Annex Jail building could be open by the end of the month, Fresno County officials said.
The much-needed jail building will provide 300 beds and create program offices for behavioral health and other jail services. A partial basement with a tunnel connects it to the existing North Annex Jail. It will also allow the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office to close the aging south annex that was built in 1941.
Built at the corner of Merced and L streets, the new three-story annex appears complete, except for a chain link fence at the front of the property.
County officials expected the new jail building to be finished by 2021, but delays including construction issues and a conflict with the Office of the State Fire Marshal caused the completion date to become a moving target.
William Kettler, Division Manager, Development Services and Capital Projects, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the construction of the jail was a complicated project and any issues with the Office of the State Fire Marshal are being worked out.
The State Fire Marshal is responsible for making sure new construction projects comply with building codes and meet fire safety requirements.
“We have been working with them over the last several months and they have been quite a bit more cooperative and we are very appreciative of that,” Kettler said. “We are still on budget and we have landscaping going on and have a temporary occupancy permit that allows us to install equipment. We may be done by May 31.”
During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Brian Pacheco didn’t mince words about who caused the project to stall.
“For those who may not know: The State Fire Marshal held up the project — and I am not afraid to say their name,” Pacheco said.
“They have no one to answer to and they completely do what they want, when they want.”
Pacheco said he was relieved to hear that the state’s fire inspectors have become more amenable.
Officials with the Office of the State Fire Marshal could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A majority of the funding, $74 million, for the West Annex jail came from the state, with the rest of the money coming from an array of different county sources.
San Fernando contractor Bernard Bros. Inc. is the builder of the project and has been in business for 50 years.
Geno James, a project executive for the company’s civic division, said that while the company has built many correctional facilities, this one was different.
“Because of the many entities involved and the complexity of these types of facilities, it is not atypical for projects such as this to experience delays,” James said in a statement. “We are working closely with all stakeholders to ensure the successful completion of the project.”
