The overwhelming sentiment during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon celebrating the opening of the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office & Jail seemed to be that the structure was finally completed.
The new $35 million dollar facility drew approximately 200 in attendance for the event.
The prevailing theme throughout many of the ceremonial speeches was the relief this day finally came. The occupation of the facility had been tentatively scheduled for September. However, during the course of several months’ construction of the state-of-the-art facility it was meet with delay, most notably leakage of the roof in numerous locations.
Wabash County Commissioner Brian Haupert (District 1) said during the ceremony: “We finally made it. It’s taken three-and-a-half years. It’s the largest project the county will produce in our lifetime. However, I would not want to go through this again. I know my wife is grateful this project is over.”
Fellow Commissioners Jeff Dawes (District 1) and Barry Eppley (District 3) agreed with Haupert that they were happy the day arrived. The jail encountered numerous leaks with its roof during most of the year. The problems resulted in the Commissioners voting, 3-0, in favor to approve more than $1.4 million in additional funding for a new roof for the jail earlier in November. The vote came after several months of investigation, consultation, and deliberation regarding what exactly to do with the leaky roof.
Haupert eagerly handed over keys to the facility to Wabash County Sheriff Ryan Baker.
“This is a big day for Wabash County,” said Baker. “Those who work in our office have looked forward to this day coming. This project has consumed many of our lives to make the most functional, safe, and secure facility possible.
The sheriff’s staff will begin to occupy the facility this week. However, it has yet to be determined when inmates will be moved from the old jail. That facility, built in 1979, can only house 72 prisoners. The new jail has a capacity of 300. Through the years, other counties such as Cass, Elkart, Fulton, Miami, and Tipton have housed Wabash prisoners in their jails due to overcrowding.
Terry Burnworth, Wabash County Council’s owner construction representative, is pleased with the overall project, despite the roof issues. “As an architect you learn that you don’t want certain buildings to look like a doctor’s office or a warehouse. This looks like a government building and the county should be extremely proud. It’s been done very well.”
He did reiterate the reroofing begins this week and poses no impediment to regular jail operations. The roofing contractor hired is Midland Engineering Co., out of South Bend, who specialize in metal roofing projects. Burnworth said, barring major snowstorms, the roof will be completed by March.
The 76,000-square-foot facility sits on 20-acres of former farmland. More than 75,000 concrete blocks and bricks were used for the project as well as 2.5 million pounds of steel by general contractor Kettelhut Construction, Inc. out of Lafayette. Local contractors used included Star Excavating, Brainard Excavating, Gaunt & Son, MFY Designs, Schlemmer Brothers, Intrasect Technologies, and Wabash Appliances.
The public also had an opportunity to tour the facility. Much of the building was available for viewing. Those on tour had a chance to look inside a solitary confinement cell; experience the enclosed exercise yard; tour the mess hall and kitchen; as well as mill around the courtroom housed inside in the facility decorated in soft grays and blues.
Wabash Mayor Scott Long was very pleased with the curb appeal of the facility.
“As you’re coming in on (Highway) 13 it looks great. But, also of importance is the inside. Because these are human beings in jail, who’ve made mistakes, but you want to give them a good atmosphere to try to improve themselves.”
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