By LOHR McKINSTRY
Staff Writer
April 13, 2008 04:00 am
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ELIZABETHTOWN -- Essex County is preparing to tear down its 1870s jail at the County Government Center here.
The county is issuing $500,000 in serial bonds for the project, which will tear down the old jail, move the county's modular jail to Department of Public Works facilities at Lewis and move the County Probation Department into the offices vacated by the Sheriff's Department.
MODULAR MOVING
The county is paying $145,455 to move the 21-cot modular jail to Lewis from the county complex in Elizabethtown.
The modular jail was used after the state closed the old jail for structural problems. A new County Jail opened in October 2007 in Lewis.
STEPS STILL TO COME
Bids aren't in yet for the demolition of the old three-story, brick jail.
The demolition is conditioned on a State Environmental Quality Review report, which will be done soon, and issuance of a permit by the New York State Department of State.
County Attorney Daniel Manning III said the plans are still being worked out.
"We will have a formal serial-bond resolution, but because of the way this played out, this is just sort of a precursor to the serial-bond resolution."
Department of Public Works Superintendent Frederick Buck said many things must be done before the old jail is torn down.
"Information was gathered for a report on work that needs to be done prior to jail demolition.
"(We need) a new boiler system and water main for Probation (Department), maintenance on integrity of communication lines running through the basement to the courthouse, installing hot water heaters for different parts of the complex, moving the fire-alarm panel and rerouting generator-protected electrical circuits."
Buck said the sheriff's civil offices to which probation is moving are heated by the jail's system.
"We are going to have to also install a new heating system in the basement of that building because that building is served by the same boiler that currently heats the old jail now."
THIRD FLOOR?
He said it's also possible they could add another floor to the building in front of the jail where the Probation Department is going.
"If we demolish the jail out to where the Probation Office is, architecturally you could make it look very much like the old buildings, with some columns up in the front, and maybe save some of the (jail) bricks and use the old brick on the building, recycle that.
"I think you could go with three floors there, and that would address a lot of space, a whole lot of space."
POSSIBLE COST
He said he got prices on tearing down the old jail.
"I had several contractors look at the building for demolition. The prices ranged from around $150,000 to $400,000."
The modular jail could eventually be used for storage of the county's new voting machines.
"I don't see reusing that modular right now," Buck said. "We should move the modular to where we feel it will be on a more permanent basis.
"There are a couple of leaks in there that are very hard to chase because it is a flat rubber roof. If we set it up where it was going to be, that (repair) should maybe be the first step."
The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project and issuance of the bonds.
lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com
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