Bladen County Commissioners voted 6-3 to approve the Bordeaux/WMJordan group to manage the construction of a new jail and approved adding a Law Enforcement Center and Call Center to the project. Arthur Bullock, Dr. Delilah Blanks and G. Michael Cogdill opposed the motion. Cogdill attempted to have the vote postponed saying he had not had enough time to study the issue and make an informed decision.The commissioners heard presentations from 2 groups. The second group was the Metcon/Balfour-Beatty team headquartered in Pembroke.
Both teams made very appealing presentations. Both have many years experience and have impressive credentials, having managed projects in nearby counties.
Both have ties to Bladen County. The Bordeaux/WMJordan group included Ben Brisson of Tar Heel who was introduced as the Project Manager, should they be awarded the contract, and Joe Jackson of Dublin as coordinator with local contractors, suppliers and workers in the area to assist in building the new jail. His job also includes making sure minority and female contractors have an opportunity to participate in the construction of the facility.
The Metcon/Balfour-Beatty group included Wilson Lacy, a Bladenboro native who is a third generation builder in the Bladen-Cumberland county area.
Commissioners also voted unanimously to include a Law Enforcement Center complete with a Call Center at an added cost of just over $1.56 million. Commissioners have apparently agreed to spend up to $16 million on the original jail project under a guaranteed maximum price arrangement. The new jail will include over 200 beds.
USDA Rural Development is expected to provide the financing. Terms are in the range of 3.75% for 40 years. Pre-planning and construction is expected to be in the range of 24 months. The new facility will be located on county owned land off Smith Circle near the Powell-Melvin Agriculture Center.
Chairman Charles Ray Peterson indicated the board vote was to negotiate with the Bordeaux/WMJordan group and if they were unable to reach agreement the board would negotiate with the Metcon/Balfour-Beatty group to manage the jail construction project. Both have experience working with Moseley Architects, designers of the new jail.
The board has been under pressure for several years to upgrade jail facilities. A Superior Court Judge asked to be updated monthly on the board plans to correct the issue. The current jail was built in the 1960’s.
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