In November of 2008 the voters of Jay County were asked their opinion on wether or not the Jay County Security Center should undergo an expansion due to overcrowding of the current facility. The issue was put on the ballot during the General Election and the citizens voted for an expansion. The Sheriff, County Commissioners, and County Council are currently in the beginning phases of the expansion.
Over the past months the Sheriff has met with the architecture company, Schenkel & Schultz, several times. The plans for the expansion as well as the renovation of the current facility are under way and close to being finalized. The County Commissioners expect to open the project for bidding in the very near future with a hopeful commencement date for construction sometime in July.
In April of 2009 the former Ford dealership located on the southeast corner of Ship St. & Main St. was demolished in order to make room for the expansion. The contract for demolition was awarded to A. Landon Excavating of Portland for a cost just under $30,000.
Here is a picture of the Ford dealership prior to demolition. This is a view from the parking lot of the Security Center facing north.
This is a picture from the same perspective during demolition work.
This perspective is from Ship St. at the alley that ran between the current Jail and the Ford dealership.
In August of 2009 work began on the jail expanison itself. The contract for the expansion was adwared to Weigand Construction, a Ft. Wayne firm for a price of 7,320,000. The company has begun bringing in dirt to the building site and puting up fences around the construciton site as well as an empty lot to the west of the current Security Center. This empty lot will serve as headquartes for Weigand.
Work has really begun at the site of the expansion. Progress can be seen. Workers have already replaced drainage lines on Water Street around the garage of the current facility. Some of you may have noticed the road being blocked off at different times lately. Pictured below workers are working on the footers by digging trenches and laying concrete block. Pictures below are from late September 2009.
The photos below were taken in mid October. Here construction workers install a sewer line for the expansion. The front entrance to the Security Center was closed for several days.
The exterior walls of the jail expansion have taken shape. These pictures are from late November early December.
Once the walls were built the workers began to install steel beams to support the weight of the structure. The beams are very large and heavy. Also being installed are the precasts, which are larege, pre-formed sections of concrete to be used as the flooring for the second floor.
Workers continue to work on the block of the exterior walls. They also begin to start building interior walls. They must keep heat inside of the sturcture so the mortar can set up for the concrete block. Workers also need heat so they ground will not be frozen so they can pour the concrete floors as shown below.
These pictures are from early February. Notice alot of the interior floors have been poured while others are prepared and ready to be poured. Alot of the interior walls have been built.
A second garage was added at the corner of Ship Street and Water Street to accommodate vehicles and other storage.
In 2013 the house located on the east side of the parking lot was purchased by the County and torn down to create more parking.
The demolition began in January 2014 and the lot is scheduled to be paved in late 2014.
Pictured above left to right are the refurbished cells and corridor. Next is the laundry facilities, kitchen, new dormitory and cells, the rec area, booking and receiving cells, control, Deputies Squad Room, 9-1-1 Communications Center, Training Room, Administrative area and the lobby.
In November of 2008 the voters of Jay County were asked their opinion on wether or not the Jay County Security Center should undergo an expansion due to overcrowding of the current facility. The issue was put on the ballot during the General Election and the citizens voted for an expansion. The Sheriff, County Commissioners, and County Council are currently in the beginning phases of the expansion. 
