County Breaks Ground on Largest Construction Project in Over 20 Years
It’s been a long day coming, and it’s here. Tulare County officially broke ground June 8th on its first detention facility build since 1999. The new South County Detention Facility will continue the ongoing efforts in improving public safety services to residents throughout the county, and allow law enforcement to meet future demands.
The new 100,000 square foot facility will have a kitchen, bakery, laundry, medical, intake, administration and visitation services; including 510 beds to house inmates. It will also be equipped with a recreation space, storage space and multi-purpose rooms for programming and training.
“It’s a monumental day,” said Board Chairman Mike Ennis and the groundbreaking event held at the site location In Porterville. “This is going to be great not only for the county, but for the City of Porterville as well as south county residents.”
The project began in 2012, when the County received notification that it had been selected to receive state funding to improve inmate facilities to meet the needs of state realignment. The State granted $60 million for this facility, and the County is contributing a minimum of $6.6 million to match.
Over the past four years, the County has taken great care in working with numerous State agencies, the City of Porterville, and other local partners to make this project a reality.
The County partnered with Bernards Brothers Inc. to construct this building, which over the next two years of construction, will employ several hundred workers creating local jobs in turn utilizing local services, further expanding the economic impact of this facility.
The South County Detention Facility will be able to house inmates while on trial a short distance from the new Porterville courthouse, reducing transportation time and costs dramatically. In addition, this building will create efficiencies in the delivery of public safety services in the southern portion of Tulare County.
The building is anticipated to be complete in 2019 and will bring a critical component of law enforcement services from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.