Escambia County Considers Two Proposals For New Escambia County Jail

August 9, 2017

The Escambia County Commission looked heard two presentations Tuesday for a new Escambia County Jail.

Whitesell-Green/Caddell Joint Venture made the first presentation (design pictured above). The venture is a partnership of Whitesell-Green of Pensacola and Caddell Construction of Montgomery, AL. The companies bid $128.6 million on the project.

The second presentation was from W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, MS (design pictured below). The company’s base bid was $129.8 million.

Both bids are negotiable after a final selection is made.  The total cost with other preparation work is expected to be about $145 million.

The new jail will be constructed at the site of the McDonald Shopping Center on the southeast corner of Fairfield Drive and Pace Boulevard.

The Escambia County Commission will continue discussions of the design-build service request for proposals for the new correctional facility at the Thursday Committee of the Whole Meeting at 9 a.m.

Pictured top: Whitesell-Green/Caddell Joint Venture’s conceptional design for a new Escambia County Jail. Pictured below: W.G. Yates Construction’s design for a new Escambia County Jail. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

14 Responses to “Escambia County Considers Two Proposals For New Escambia County Jail”

  1. H H on August 10th, 2017 4:09 pm

    Both design’s are not what a jail should look like. You have got to be kidding me. Appears to be better than the Escambia County Clerk of Court offices on Government Street. It would be like living in the Trump Tower. Trade places with the Escambia Clerk of Court offices and build a new Government Center for those employees, court rooms, court records etc. You already have enough out lying buildings to hold the records. Put all of that under one roof. Place the jailbirds in a plain architectural building and state of the art facilities for the employees. Wasting money building a jail as those featured by Whitesell and Yates Contractors. Give us registered voters a chance to vote on this and see where that gets you.

  2. too fancy on August 10th, 2017 1:44 pm

    Both of those proposals are tooo fancy. The inside parts for the workers/corrections staff should be nicer than the areas for inmates and it needs to look like a jail not a resort. They are supposed to be punished for crimes not on a free vacation. Another waste full the Escambia County Board of Commish’s don’t get. PAY THE COUNTY EMPLOYES BETTER. STOP catering to the thugs!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. old man on August 9th, 2017 5:49 pm

    suggestion dont build a building put up barbed wire and tents and feed they MREs why should these people be treated better than our military personal who defend our country

  4. Stephen Embry on August 9th, 2017 4:37 pm

    Building a jail is a complete waste of money. Build a rehab center for drug addiction.

  5. Nwo on August 9th, 2017 4:34 pm

    If you built it they will come!
    Money get spent on waste everyday
    Get over it we spent $2.4 trillion on the war in afghanistan what was the point for that????
    You tell me!. Cash is the root of all evil.

  6. No Excuses on August 9th, 2017 3:45 pm

    The prisoners see the inside of the prison for most of their bid there. It’s us, the law abiding citizens that have to look at the darn thing, and I for one like the designs. The internal workings are made for the facility to be secure and that’s where the cost comes in (significant other has experience in building systems for prisons). An ugly, cinderblock prison would cost just as much as the more eye pleasing examples above. Trust me, the inside will still be a jail.

  7. jp on August 9th, 2017 3:00 pm

    One more reason that Escambia County needs an impact fee for new construction like other counties with decent infrastructure.

    It is an affront to law abiding tax payers to give prisoners other than basic accommodations.

  8. WHISPERJET on August 9th, 2017 2:58 pm

    …prestressed concrete reinforced walls..grits for BREAKFAST..PBJ AND WATER FOR LUNCH….hotdogs for dinner..who could want more than that….TV one night a week if they behave….

  9. RECHEL L SANDERS on August 9th, 2017 2:03 pm

    Our Escambia County court house looks like a jail. This new proposed jail looks somewhat like modern apartments. The criminals do not deserve such niceties. Three hots and a cot is all they deserve. Why should our tax money be spent to provide a nicer place for criminals to live than some of our productive citizens and then we the people still have to pay their way to live there.

  10. North end flash on August 9th, 2017 11:12 am

    The companies again have not considered all the water in that area. I have seen that shopping center under about four feet or more water. When we have a good rain storm, hurricane, etc, that place is under water. Where will the water go, with Pensacola Christian School, the area has no holding pond…..water….water where will you go? Into the buildings………

  11. Nana of 16 on August 9th, 2017 8:43 am

    My question is why? Why a jail that provides AC, TV, gym etc…The people that will be housed there did not care about the welfare of the people they violated, robbed, gave/sold drugs to, hurt because of their actions…WHY do we have to treat them so good?
    Basic shelter and food is all that should be provided during their time of being incarcerated. Civil treatment…that should be all that is required for them. They don’t care as soon as most of them are release they will return time after time. Make it bearable not comfortable so maybe they will not want to go back and become free citizens and productive citizens instead of habitual offenders.
    YES, please provide the AC for the guards who put their life’s on the line, for little pay, everyday to watch over the CRIMINALS. That is what they are criminals….treat them as so.
    OR build them a really really nice facility with tax dollars! Or have we confiscated enough drug money to pay for it?? LET’S SEE THAT FY 2017-2018 REVENUE BUDGETED ITEM!

  12. Mike Newman on August 9th, 2017 8:06 am

    Hopefully they build this jail much bigger with double the beds. They need to start sentencing these dope dealers and property crime theifs to more jailtime. I’ve never seen crime so out of control in one county. Our whole block was hit again with car thefts, car break ins, home break ins, and stealing folks guns. It happened last year too around the same time. I’m pretty sure it’s these floating transient types and thuglets that just hang around on the streets we always see walking around. Do they not have a job or somewhere else to go? Why Escambia county?

  13. russ farley on August 9th, 2017 7:00 am

    Looks much too fancy….plain cinder block and bars and gray paint would do. Make it look like a place that you “don’t want to go to” .

  14. Honest John on August 9th, 2017 4:56 am

    Unbelievable cost just for people that can’t follow rules and regulations.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News