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State outlines land search, $15 million allocation for new women's reentry and correctional facility
Summary
Buildings and General Services Commissioner Wanda Manoli told the Senate Committee on Institutions that BGS will post an RFP in January seeking sites within a 30-mile radius for a women's reentry and correctional facility, that $15,000,000 is available to buy land, and that full delivery could take three to five years if permitting and funding align.
Buildings and General Services Commissioner Wanda Manoli told the Senate Committee on Institutions on Jan. 6 that the agency will issue a request for proposals in January to identify a site for a replacement women's reentry and correctional facility and that the legislature has authorized $15,000,000 to purchase land for the project. "We currently have $15,000,000, and so you've given us the authority to purchase the land," Manoli said.
Manoli said the authority stems from "Act 02/4162, section 30," which allows BGS to buy land if suitable state-owned sites are not available. She said BGS narrowed its search around Chittenden County to support existing staff and adhere to union contract language that informed a 30-mile search radius. "We are putting in the RFP that... it's going to be within that 30-mile radius of the existing facility," she said.
Why it matters: The committee heard that site selection has been contentious in prior towns. Manoli described a denied permit request in Essex after public meetings, with local officials and residents seeking upfront commitments on infrastructure and community benefits. "They wanted some of that commitment from the state upfront, and we weren't in a position to give up," she said, describing the town's decision to deny a zoning or use change in October.
What BGS will do next: Manoli said the RFP will be finalized in January, with responses due by March and an evaluation and potential selection goal for April. She emphasized the RFP will be specific about site conditions and permitting expectations to avoid a flood of unsuitable broker submissions. If a viable site is chosen and permitting, bids and capital funding line up, Manoli said construction could occur on a 3-to-5-year horizon: "you would be lucky if it were 3 years" if everything aligned.
The committee asked whether planning accounts for changing populations and rehabilitative programming. Manoli said BGS leads on design and construction while the Department of Corrections defines program needs and bed counts; designs would be revised if DOC requests different bed capacity. She said BGS is aiming for at least 20 acres where feasible, but acknowledged usable acreage and topography often reduce developable land.
Next steps and process safeguards: Manoli said BGS will include permitting responsibilities and program expectations in the RFP and will use standard procurement steps (questions deadline, written responses, site visits). She also said BGS will pursue standard letters of intent and options to purchase as part of negotiations and stressed a new community engagement roadmap will be shared earlier in the process to increase transparency.
The committee did not take formal votes; members praised the transparency of the approach and urged continued community engagement. The committee adjourned after the briefing.
