As DeKalb County considers a $35 million plan for a new 182-bed jail, the project’s architect presented the schematic design to the county commission.
Project Architect John Eisenlau said the firm met numerous times with the Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Corrections Institute to ensure the design meets all TCI standards.
“I’m happy report today that the drawings that you are looking at on the other end of the room there summarize a 182-bed facility, and it’s approximately 49,000 square feet right now,” Eisenlau said.
Eisenlau said the proposed jail will include separate housing areas for male and female inmates, a dedicated medical unit, special-purpose cells, and administrative space. He added that the project remains on track to stay within the $35 million budget approved for construction.
“The configuration of the building is, in my mind, very thoughtful,” Eisenlau said. “It’s to give the maximum amount of expansion over time for not only the housing, but the administrative areas, the booking and release areas, and the kitchen and laundry. You will notice that things are not landlocked, so to speak, on the site. It’s a very efficient arrangement on the site.”
Eisenlau said parking in front of the jail will be limited, noting that the current design meets required capacity and does not call for additional spaces at this time. However, he added that the site allows for future parking expansion if needed.
“You’ll notice there’s a green space between Smith Road and the public parking and the front of the building,” Eisenlau said. “That’s quite deliberate, actually, to make sure that we afford you the possibility for additional parking in the future.”
Eisenlau said the jail will be a one-story facility.
The building is a one-story facility with a mezzanine, and the sheriff’s department would be moving constantly horizontally in the building,” Eisenlau said. “They do not have to get in staircases or elevators. It’s very efficient. It’s usually the most cost-effective way to build a detention center, so you don’t have elevators and more cameras and more staircases and more blind spots. A facility of this size, in my opinion, should always be a single-story facility.”
Eisenlau addressed public rumors that engineers did not approve the site on Smith Road, saying those rumors are not true and that the soils are fine for construction. Commissioners then questioned the decision to build the jail at the front of the property. Eisenlau responded by saying that the front is the most efficient location for utilities.
“The further we push it back into the property, or the further we push it north, you get further away from the utilities,” Eisenalu said. “We’re very mindful of the connections to the existing utilities, so usually getting your facility close to the road, as much as you can, is the most cost-effective strategy. This is also what I would consider to be the flattest area on the site. There are some grading plans that we’re looking at right now, so we’re really trying to make sure we don’t push around too much soil or bring too much soil in, and there are some other engineering-related decisions that push the building into where it is. It’s really cost-driven more than anything else right now.”
The county commission will consider approving a resolution authorizing the issuance of the capital outlay note at the monthly commission meeting on Monday.