Documents show development of Lucas County prison project

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The 13 Action News I-TEAM takes a closer look at how the new jail project in Lucas County came to a near standstill.

The project is becoming increasingly expensive and new documents received by the I-TEAM illustrate what could be done to close the gap.

We don't yet know exactly how the county will finance the project. It could cost as much as $290 million. Some work to reduce costs is already underway, but construction is not currently underway.

There is no activity on the grounds of the new Lucas County Jail. The trailer is empty and no one is on site. Records show it took a long time to get here.

Planning was going well at the beginning of the year. For example, a February update from Bridgette Kabat, the county's construction manager, said many things were in the works, such as the first floor layout, housing modules and schematic designs.

In May, there is more discussion about finances. Bob Franz of Stiefel Finance talks about the funding gap. In an email to the county, he says when they start talking about the $6 million annual gap, it's probably around $7.25 to $7.5 million.

District officials told I-TEAM that the project's cost was now millions higher than expected.

We also found comparisons to previous estimates for new prisons. One document compares the project planned for 2022 on the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department site. The cost is about $179 million, not adjusted for inflation. The estimate at the time for 2024 was $245 million.

Costs changed everywhere. For example, a change order from Lathrop Ozanne in May increased the cost of the project by $2.9 million.

Sheriff's Department and Commissioner staff worked with engineers to demolish one floor of the administration building while preserving necessary space for jail operations.

The I-TEAM found that the county has explored all options to fund the jail, such as one-time costs to save money, including closing the dog grooming and control facility, selling Hensville, selling the recreation center and even delaying a project for the courthouse facade.

The county has not stopped the Canine Care and Control project; in fact, there are already walls in front of it.

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