Oklahoma County officials report construction, testing and financing updates for new detention and behavioral-care facilities

Steve Mason, chair of the Citizens Bond Oversight Advisory Board, said Tuesday that project staff gave the board a detailed update on the Oklahoma County Adult Detention Center and Behavioral Care Center construction, including quality-control issues, financing and schedule.

Stacy, the county project lead, told the board the behavioral-care portion of the project is fully funded but that the team is monitoring construction-quality tests and budget escalation. “Right now, we're tracking 48 failed tests on our behavioral care center. Most of it's concrete masonry, and all of that work has been torn out and replaced, or it's in the process over the next 10 days of getting torn out and replaced,” Stacy said. She added that the original masonry subcontractor has been replaced.

The update emphasized two financing milestones. Stacy said the county sold $45,000,000 to start construction and later sold an additional $215,000,000; she said Bank of America purchased the latter at 3.6% interest. She also told the board the original guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the behavioral care contract was $44,400,000 and that approved change orders have…