WINONA, Minn. – Crews are poised to start preliminary work on a long-overdue new Winona County jail with the goal of a ribbon-cutting ceremony in December 2023. But there remain unsettled issues:
> Soil tests. If contamination is found from the Walz auto dealership, which formerly occupied the site, a plan will need to be devised to remove perhaps tons of earth.
> State approval. State building inspectors have inspected but not yet approved the county’s design for the jail.
> State jail standards. The state Corrections Department needs to sign off on the proposal. Several years ago the agency declared the current 50-year-old jail substandard and became increasingly irritated at county dallying on a replacement.
> Cells sourcing. Finding a manufacturer for cells has been delayed by a bidding kerfuffle over confused bidding specifications. The County found itself restart thr
> Paying for it. Voters need to approve a sales tax increase to cover a $28 million loan for the project. This cannot occur before 2022 elections.
> Bonding approval. There cannot be a ballot referendum on a sales tax unless the state Legislature approves. Counties cannot borrow for capital projects without state-level authorization.
> Staff training. Jails are complicated. Staff training will take time.
The project earlier was set for June 2023 completion. That has been delayed six months.
Ready, set, go? The contractor Market & Johnson has a construction office trailer in place to start work on a new Winona County jail. Image: Steve Lunde
Where it is. The jail would wrap around the existing Law Enforcement Center just west of the Courthouse. The main entrance would be on West Third street. Dark gray is the jail, inside the eastbound ramp that sweeps up to the Interstate Bridge from West Fourth Street. . In lesser gray are the 1970s joint city-county police station and the majestic 1889 Courthouse.