Papillion – Sarpy County hired a construction manager last Tuesday for its plans to build a new jail.

JE Dunn Construction was selected by the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners. The firm will commit to a guaranteed maximum price for the construction of the jail, which will be built in a parking lot adjacent to the current jail on the courthouse campus near 84th Street and Highway 370.

The estimated cost for JE Dunn to manage the project is $4.9 million, which includes estimating, modeling, scheduling, quality assurance and overseeing the construction. The firm will work with DLR Group, which was hired in December to design the new jail. Construction work is scheduled to start in early 2021.

Sarpy County Board Chair Don Kelly said that hiring a construction manager “guaranteed a fair price” for taxpayers, avoiding the risk of spending millions of dollars in unforeseen expenses.

“Our current jail is overcrowded and out of compliance with state standards,” he said. “Partnering with JE Dunn and the DLR Group brings together two great companies who specialize in criminal justice design and construction, and we look forward to working with them on this important project.”

The Sarpy County Jail consistently has exceeded capacity since the mid-1990s. It transports inmates to other jurisdictions for boarding at a current cost of about $500,000 annually – and that is expected to continue to climb.

Estimates put the cost of a new jail between $65 million and $70 million, including site preparation, design and construction.

The new jail should be open by fall 2022 and will have about 400 beds along with space for health care, programming and services.

For additional updates on the Sarpy County Jail project, visit sarpy.com/jail.