A lone bid from Miron Construction on Tuesday for the Dane County Jail project came in at $161.7 million, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, far above the number budgeted by the county.
Head of County Administration Greg Brockmeyer said on Wednesday in a memo to the Dane County Board that with the cost of equipment, furniture, contingency planning, and other soft costs, the total project overage is $27.6 million.
In April, the County Board voted to approve $13.5 million in borrowing and push the project — a six-story, 825-bed facility — forward. Construction was slated to begin early next year; however, the current budget shortfall has put the project in jeopardy once again.
Miron’s bid is good for 60 days. The board has until mid-January to authorize another $27.6 million in new borrowing and accept the bid. Board committees will meet to review the bid after Thanksgiving.
