The District has taken the first step toward what will almost certainly be one of its largest, most expensive capital projects — the construction of a new jail.
The Department of General Services recently issued a solicitation for an architect to develop predesign guidelines for a new central detention facility, including cost estimates and operational, management, space and staffing needs. The final product will serve as a roadmap for the design phase.
At the same time, the D.C. Council’s public safety committee, chaired by Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, D-Ward 5, has included $5 million in the Department of Corrections’ capital budget to finance the design of a new correctional and central treatment facility. Construction will cost hundreds of millions of dollars more.