JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The planned relocation of the Duval County Jail may be years away, but at least one group of companies is already bidding for the job to build a new one.
With an estimated cost of more than a billion dollars, the City of Jacksonville has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting the company or companies that will be tasked with constructing a new jail.
Previous coverage: ‘We need a new jail’: Jacksonville mayor says major decision on jail move coming soon
Now, even before the city has officially launched a Request for Proposal (RFP), an unsolicited bid has been submitted by a team of three companies.
Those companies include Sustainability Partners, Ajax Building Company, and HOK.
According to the mayor’s office, the bid doesn’t include any dollar amounts, but does describe the “public-private partnership that would exist throughout the various stages of the new jail, including site search, feasibility study, design, construction, and a lease arrangement where the city is the tenant”.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Unlike the lease-to-own option previously floated by the mayor and other city leaders, the mayor’s office told Action News Jax this bid would be a regular lease agreement, where a private company would build the new jail and the city would permanently rent the facility.
“It will be the largest project that the city’s ever done,” said Council Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large).
Salem led the charge to get the ball rolling on the jail move during his term serving as Council President.
He said he knows there are many companies interested in competing for the jail construction contract.
“So, the fact that there’s an unsolicited bid, I can assure you there are other groups that are looking at getting involved in this jail, hopefully through a competitive process,” said Salem.
Sheriff TK Waters weighed in on the jail move development as well.
“As this important project begins to take shape, my primary focus is on examining all paths forward to ensure it is done in the most open, fair, and transparent manner possible,” said Waters in a statement.
Read: Jacksonville asked to double its contribution for proposed UF campus
The mayor’s office said it’s in discussions with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on how to best move forward, “whether it is with this proposal or an RFP instead”.
Salem wants to ensure the city considers all of its options and puts the contract out for competitive bid before landing on a final candidate, especially given the estimated price tag.
Read: Winning lottery ticket worth $8.75 million sold at Jacksonville Beach store
“That multiple entities have a chance to participate and we get the best price and the best project for the taxpayers,” said Salem.
The mayor’s office noted that regardless of whether it decides to move forward with this proposal or put out an RFP, there will be a 45-day open competition period for any other companies to participate.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
