Lucas County delays new jail financing; approves study of existing facility

Lucas County commissioners on July 1 discussed a proposed new Lucas County Corrections Center and voted to advertise for professional qualifications to perform a facility condition assessment focused on life‑safety renovations to the existing jail.

The county’s Office of Management and Budget director, John Wenzlick, told commissioners the most recent projected construction cost for a new corrections center is about $273,000,000, not including roughly $31,000,000 in capitalized interest expected to accrue during construction. Wenzlick said the county expects to contribute about $54,000,000 from grants and cash, leaving about $219,000,000 to be financed. "The annual payment over 35 years would be about $15,700,000," Wenzlick said, adding that Sheriff Navarre has committed to personnel cost savings the sheriff estimates at about $10,200,000 per year, which would leave a projected annual general‑fund gap of about $5,400,000.

The county’s jail project manager, Bridget Cabot, outlined next steps if the county were…