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Beltrami County project team reports new jail ahead of schedule, roof expected by December
Summary
County project engineer and superintendent reported steady progress on the new jail: precast installation is well underway, roof enclosure is expected by early December, cells are scheduled for November installation, and a first deductive change order of about $300,000 was reported.
Beltrami County project staff told commissioners Aug. 19 that construction of the county's new jail on Pioneer Avenue is progressing ahead of schedule, with major precast work complete on many sections and a planned building enclosure target for early December.
Aaron, the project engineer, reported excavation and foundations completed earlier in the season and that precast wall panels arrived mid‑July and are moving the project forward faster than initial schedules. Gary Francisco, the on‑site superintendent, said crews have set panels on the south side and were installing roof framing and mechanical curb work in preparation for roof installation. Staff told the board the construction team can set about 14 precast panels per day when the work is staged.
Key schedule and construction points cited to the board: - Construction began the week of March 31; major excavation and foundation work followed in April‑June. - Precast panels arrived July 14 and installation proceeded quickly; staff estimated roughly 45% of panels were in place at the time of the presentation and expected panel work to complete in about six weeks. - The team projected the roof enclosure would be complete the first week of December; once the building envelope is closed, interior work and winter commissioning can progress. - Cells were scheduled for November set‑in; crews expect to set multiple cell units per day when deliveries occur.
Budget and change orders: the project team said a first change order being processed is a deductive change of roughly $300,000 driven by value‑engineering (for example, adjustments to precast embeds and electrical conductor choices). Project managers reported a remaining contingency of approximately $2.3 million in the current forecast and described a separate roughly $2.0 million of projected sales‑tax savings that the team has tracked separately for possible future use by the county.
Tours and oversight: staff offered to arrange site tours for commissioners and suggested Friday mornings or targeted October/November dates after more floor and panel work is in place to make a group tour practical. Commissioners discussed pacing and suggested a few milestone site visits rather than very frequent tours.
No contract‑level approvals were recorded at the work session; the presentation was an informational quarterly update from the design and operations team.
