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Design team recommends full removal of Beltrami County’s existing jail; board to decide later this year
Summary
Design and operations team presented three reuse options for the existing county jail — full remodel, partial removal/remodel, or full removal — and recommended full removal (Option 3) as most viable; board asked for public input and plans to revisit the decision in October.
Beltrami County’s design and operations team presented three conceptual options on Aug. 19 for the county’s existing jail and recommended demolishing the structure and rebuilding a dedicated transport/sally‑port facility as the most viable option.
Danielle, the project architect, walked commissioners through the three options: a full interior remodel leaving the existing shell, a partial removal and remodel that preserves selected portions of the building, and full removal with a new, simpler transport/sally‑port connection to the justice center. Danielle said each option would require changes to the sally port; the full‑removal option allows more flexibility for site parking and future development.
Why it matters: the county must decide how to reuse or remove the existing jail before moving inmates into the new facility. The design and operations team argued that full removal (Option 3) best balances cost, future site use and operational flow for transport to the justice center. Commissioner John Carlson, a member of the design and operations committee, said the committee recommended Option 3 based on cost and operational considerations.
The board discussed public input and scheduling: staff proposed posting the conceptual plans online and bringing the item back to the board at a meeting in October to collect public feedback before a final decision. Commissioner Carlson said refining final design would take place after the board’s choice, with detailed architectural work following the board’s direction. Staff suggested a target schedule that would allow demolition of the old facility after moving into the new jail and potentially beginning demolition in spring 2027 if the board finalizes a decision by early 2026.
No final decision was recorded in the work session; staff asked commissioners to review the concepts and indicated they would return with a recommendation and more detailed cost estimates in coming months.
