Ribbon Cutting Monday For New $142 Million Escambia County Correctional Facility

March 27, 2021

A ribbon cutting will be held Monday for the new $142 million Escambia County Correctional Facility.

The new 304,067 square foot, four story structure facility replaces the Central Booking and Detention Center that was destroyed by an explosion in 2014.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 29, outside the new facility entrance at 3080 North Pace Boulevard.

The new Escambia County Correctional Facility will not replace the current jail, which was constructed in the 1980s. The two buildings are connected by an enclosed corridor. Inmates will be divided between the two buildings based up on their security classification. Main services such as food and laundry will be in the new building.

The first inmates are expected to be moved into the new facility in early April.

Comments

12 Responses to “Ribbon Cutting Monday For New $142 Million Escambia County Correctional Facility”

  1. Fred on March 28th, 2021 4:21 pm

    Just for the record the low bidder was not awarded the project. The project was awarded to an out of town contractor who joint ventured with a local company with political ties to the area . The local company showed up for pictures and will show up for the ribbon cutting . They performed zero work other than greasing the CC’s hands for awarding the the project .

  2. Sg on March 28th, 2021 9:41 am

    $416 a square ft.????!!!!!! Really?

    I have to be missing something. Standard commercial space is about $30 a sq ft. Average prison costs are around 220 sq ft.

    Was the contractor related to someone?

    Just WOW! ☹️

  3. anne on March 28th, 2021 7:01 am

    Nice looking for a jail. Still laughing about one of our County Commissioners who made the statement if we build a smaller facility (jail) that will help keep crime down. Oh well, same one who feels leaving the shabby looking ancient strip-mall on the same property is a great idea because it’ll draw in people to those places. Uh, NOT.
    With the nearly daily murders or shootings and injuries due to the DRUG / Gang wars going on locally this joint will be packed quickly.
    Just hope the Jailers and cops who havbe to deal with the criminals stay Safe and Well. Seems our “society” has really gone over the edge with lawlessness.
    Dear Lord, PLEASE Help Us.

  4. R. W on March 28th, 2021 6:02 am

    T H E LAWSUIT Against the COUNTY. ? ? ?

  5. Brandon on March 27th, 2021 11:53 pm

    It’s good to see the money wasted on this project! Less beds than the old facility that blew of because of gross county negligence! GREAT JOB ESCAMBIA COUNTY!!!!

  6. ensley boy on March 27th, 2021 5:51 pm

    That would have made a nice homeless shelter, oh wait, I forgot, you have to be a criminal to get decent shelter and medical care.

  7. Rhee Vertz on March 27th, 2021 2:57 pm

    Everybody on here commenting and acting so casual about the fact that in the land of the free, we need 2 big jails, work release, and the county road prison. That is 4 County institutions. 80% of the population are non-violent offenders. Half of that 80% are victimless crimes. Anybody else feel like the community leaders have their priorities all wrong??

  8. Fiscally responsible? on March 27th, 2021 12:24 pm

    It’s interesting that even though Escambia County’s population is growing, they spent all that money to build a jail that holds LESS people than the old one did. The old one which is ALREADY overpopulated – which will have to be torn down in time because its soo old that it’s not architecturally sound, thus making any claims of using it for the long term inmates irrelevant.

  9. john on March 27th, 2021 9:14 am

    I bet it will fill up quickly with the knuckle heads around here.

  10. retired on March 27th, 2021 9:05 am

    SURE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE FOR THE PEOPLE ( TAX PAYERS), HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A TOUR. LIKE THEY DID IN THE 80′S.

    BUT THEY DON’T WANT USE TO SEE HOW MUCH THEY WASTED.

  11. JTV on March 27th, 2021 8:25 am

    Fill it up with bad guys.

  12. Simon T on March 27th, 2021 1:45 am

    Glad north escambia mentioned the OLD jail that needs to be replaced. Its 40 years old. Hopefully the architects did not build this one in a flood zone. Fairfield always floods so I’m sure it will still flood out in a heavy rain. Another reason not to go to jail… might flood out or blow up.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News