Board hears quarterly capital construction update: jail expansion, Pathways facility, HHS lobby and new operations center among projects under way

Coconino County department leaders on June 3 presented a quarterly capital construction update to the Board of Supervisors covering projects in design, closeout and construction across multiple county departments.

Sheriff's Office: Sheriff Adam Axline (identified in the meeting as the lead presenter from the sheriff’s office) said the county is moving forward on a two‑part jail improvement that includes a new medical unit addition (about 15,000 square feet of medical and exam/infirmary space) and an intake/transfer and release renovation to separate intake and release flows for safety. The jail project budgeted $20 million combines $10 million from jail district reserves and $10 million from a bond issuance. Construction was described as beginning imminently and scheduled to end in April 2027.

Facilities/Pathways: Jeff Stein, senior construction manager in Facilities Management, described a two‑phase Pathways to Community project that repurposes space inside the county facility and adds about 1,500 square feet of new construction for behavioral health and re‑entry services. Phase 1 (tenant improvements) was completed in spring 2024; phase 2 construction is finishing and staff and furniture moves are expected imminently. Funding included opioid settlement grants and job‑order contract work.

Health and Human Services: Facilities staff described an HHS lobby renovation and a 3,000‑square‑foot youth behavioral center retrofit within the King Street building. The combined HHS scope is budgeted at $3.3 million, with design and permitting underway and construction planned for fall 2025 into spring 2026. The plan also anticipates moving Emergency Management/Operations Center functions during construction and ultimately consolidating an EOC at the Sheep Hill public works campus.

Operations center and Public Works storage building: Facilities and Public Works staff jointly presented a proposed new operations center (about 9,000 square feet) at the Sheep Hill campus to house emergency management and flood control functions. The concept budget range is $4.5–$5.5 million; staff is targeting a fall 2025 hard‑bid and a construction window of about a year. Public Works will also construct a new vehicle/storage building and multiuse “ready rooms” for maintenance crews; the two projects will be bid and built to leverage economies of scale.

Tusayan Service Center planning: County staff also updated the board on a planned multi‑departmental service center in Tuba City (referred in the meeting as the Tuba City regional service center or “Tribal/Navajo area service center”), using a congressional appropriation application and county contributions; staff said USDA funding review was pending and the county has resubmitted for additional federal funds for future years.

Ending: Staff said they will bring quarterly updates on these projects to the board and coordinate timing as budgeted work moves to construction and occupancy.