Codington County hears design and budget update for new jail; construction estimate $31 million

Commissioner Gable asked the Codington County Board of Commissioners on March 11 to receive an update from project architects on the county jail design and budget. John Strosberg and Andrew Itrow of the design team presented progress in the design‑development phase, cost estimates and the planned schedule.

The architects said the project is in design development, the stage when schematic plans are translated into construction details. "Design development is how is it going to work, and construction documents is how do we build it," John Strosberg said. He told the board the current construction estimate being designed to is $31,000,000, with total project costs projected at about $37,000,000 after professional fees, fixtures, furniture and equipment and contingency are included.

Why it matters: design‑development choices affect operating costs, staffing and long‑term maintenance. Strosberg said the team is reviewing tradeoffs such as mechanical systems, ceiling security levels and finish quality to keep ‘‘must haves’’ within budget…