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This window from Clark County's original jail, built in 1895, sits in front of the current one that will be replaced by a new $2.6 million facility scheduled to be completed by May or June of 2010.
Hannig Construction awarded Jail Contract  Share
On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, five contractors and several members of the media came to the Clark County Courthouse, where bids were formally announced and a contractor was ultimately selected for the new Clark County Jail. The comprehensive bids ranged from just over $2.5 million to approximately $3.2 million respectively, but when all was said and done, Hannig Construction of Terre Haute was awarded the contract with a bid of $2,611,500. Hannig's bid was approximately $200,000 or 10% below initial estimates projected by Wright and Associates, but that was just one of many factors considered by the Board in making their final selection. Another consideration was that Hannig had completed two similar projects (although substantially larger in scope) within the region over the past five years. One was the Clay County Justice Center in Brazil, Ind., and the other was the Knox County Jail in Vincennes, both of which were $10-11 million projects. A third and deciding factor in Hannig's selection was the fact that Hannig's President, Troy Biddle, is actually from Marshall and has closely followed this project's development for quite some time. In fact, Biddle indicated that he would, in all likelihood, ''personally manage this project,'' since he is from the area and knows many of the people involved. When asked about their selection, Biddle said, ''We're very excited about this. It's a nice project for us and well within our comfort zone.'' As for the economic impact their selection might have on other area businesses and residents, Biddle indicated some local subcontractors and material suppliers would benefit substantially from the project.
All things considered, the consensus reaction among Clark County Board members and Jail committee members alike was one of excitement-and perhaps even relief-to see their plans and goals with regard to this project coming to fruition. When asked how long this project had been on the table, Jail Committee member Warren LeFever said that initial discussions date back to the late 90's. Now, however, after a decade of discussion and planning, the completion of this project is only ten months away. According to the terms stipulated in the contract, as explained by Architect and Site Supervisor Craig Wright, the Contractor has 300 calendar days (from the date of the award notice) to complete the project to the point where the process of moving in can begin. Now, with the award having been faxed over to Hannig on the 9th, the countdown has officially begun. John Lotz is a staff writer for the Marshall Independent.
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