A project 10-plus years in the making reached a milestone April 30 as officials broke ground to mark the ceremonial start of construction on a new county jail. The 56,000-square-foot law enforcement center will include 112 inmate beds, offices for sheriff’s staff, a centrally located communications center, and more work space than is available in the existing county jail.
Voters endorsed the project with 62 percent approving the issuance of up to $18.75 million in bonds to build the new center, partnering with Burns Architecture LLC of Lakeway, and Don Krueger Construction of Victoria.
“Our present jail was built in the early 1970s and expanded in 1991,” explained Lampasas County Judge Wayne L. Boultinghouse, “like putting a big box over a small box. The kitchen and plumbing were not changed, so we became overwhelmed.
“The new facility is at the edge of town and will have adequate space and parking,” Boultinghouse continued. “I feel good about retiring in December, having made a big step forward in upgrading our facilities.”
The new jail will include three times as many beds as the existing jail; the county currently sends inmates to out-of-county facilities.
The project should be completed by the end of 2019.
– The Lampasas Dispatch Record contributed information to this article.