(Karen Madden, USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin) Just over two years after crews broke ground on the new Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Jail, the locks are on the cell doors, elevators are operational, furniture is being placed and computer wires are being connected as the end of construction nears.
The transition team has begun to train in the new building, Wood County Jail Administrator Lt. Ted Ashbeck said. Ashbeck and Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker anticipate starting the move into the new building sometime in February, after the staff is fully trained on the procedures in the new facility.
Once the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Jail are completely moved out of the old building, work on razing the old jail can begin sometime in 2025. Becker said he didn’t know exactly when that would happen.
People who would like to get a look inside the new facility firsthand are invited to attend an open house on Dec. 17 immediately following the Wood County Board meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m., Becker said.
Laura Valenstein, chairwoman of the Wood County Jail Construction Adhoc Committee, said construction has gone extremely well. The construction is under budget and ahead of schedule, she said. Samuels Group of Wausau, the construction company building the jail, has been easy to work with, Valenstein said.
“They’ve done a great job,” she said. “They’ve been extremely receptive to feedback and a few things we wanted to change along the way.” Becker, Ashbeck, Facilities Manager Reuben Van Tassel and sheriff’s office staff have done a good job staying on top of things with the jail project, Valenstein said.
It was Valenstein’s first time being the chairwoman of such a large project and they made it easy, she said. “I get to watch from the outside while the team deals with the nitty gritty,” Valenstein said. Becker said he’s enjoyed working with Valenstein and Van Tassel during the project, which broke ground in October 2022.
The Samuels Group has been good about making needed changes as they’ve been brought to their attention and keeping the project within its $98 million budget.
Comments