A newly released engineering study details more than $220 million in upgrades necessary to extend the useful life of the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The 291-page report was provided today to members of the Nebraska State Legislature.
The study, funded and approved by state senators last year, details deficiencies and costs relative to all of the buildings and structures located at NSP as well as infrastructure and site-related systems.
“In order to provide an accurate assessment of cost, estimates were based on what it would take to either repair or replace each item, bringing them up to current, modern day standards,” says Scott R. Frakes, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. “Costs were not added for new structures or to increase the size of structures. In this regard, the assessment is very much based on what currently exists on that campus today.”
The engineering study was undertaken as part of nearly $15 million in funding approved by state lawmakers in 2021, which also included developing plans and undergoing site selection for a new 1,512-bed, multi-custody facility to replace the penitentiary.
“The sites are located within Lancaster, Douglas and Dodge counties,” Frakes says. “The top criteria in evaluating all available sites has been proximity to a population center to support staffing. The ones selected so far fit that bill.”
The approximate size of the site would be 160 acres. While work continues to refine the design of the facility itself, representatives with a commercial real estate investment firm will begin exploring option agreements with property owners.