ASHDOWN, Ark. - Construction on the new, $8 million Little River County Detention Center is underway despite wet weather slowing the project down.
"The weather has held it up. We were kind of in a holding pattern for a while. But we are pretty happy with where we are, considering everything," Little River County Judge Mike Cranford said.
Voters approved a bond in the fall of September 2019 to finance the new building and a sales tax to help pay for it.
The new tax went into effect Jan. 1, 2020.
County officials looked at four different properties for the new jail site and each site had its advantages, Cranford said.
The new jail will be located on U.S. Highway 71 on the north side of Ashdown near Cossatot Community College University of Arkansas.
The Southbuild Team, which includes Spirit Architecture Group and Smith-Doyle Contractors, are building the detention center.
The team, which is based in Tennessee, has worked on buildings including a number of correctional centers in several states including Arkansas.
Cranford said crews are currently subgrading the property. Officials hope the jail is completed by the spring 2022.
The current jail, located downtown next to the Little River County Courthouse, holds a maximum of 24 inmates. As a result, the sheriff's office often houses inmates in other county jails, which leads to higher costs in housing and transportation as well as lower felony bonds.
The new lockup is expected to house 60 to 80 inmates.
The bond issue to finance building the new jail passed with 1,154 votes for and 825 against.
A 3/8 cent sales tax to go toward paying the bond passed 1,136 for and 839 against. A 1/4 cent sales tax to toward jail maintenance and operations passed 1,159 for and 824 against.