County of Fayette recently issued the following announcement.
The project is slated for completion by March 2023.
Uniontown, PA - The first progress report about construction of the ongoing Fayette County Prison Project has been released.
Project Construction Managers Site LogIQ of Oakmont recently provided county officials with the seven-section report, which includes photos and contractor updates spanning June to August 2021.
According to the Executive Summary section of the report, asbestos abatement and demolition were completed “within budget and on schedule” by May 31, 2021. Engineering and environmental consulting firm Skelly and Loy provided on-site environmental oversight and testing services throughout the abatement and demolition process.
All construction and post-construction contractors properly submitted all start-up paperwork, including payment and performance bonds; insurance; all required certifications; and all documents required by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA funded the project’s Community Facilities Direct Loan, which is being administered locally through the First National Bank of Pennsylvania.
All prime contractors are also regularly submitting data and drawings for review by the project’s architectural firm, L.R. Kimball, utilizing the Procore Construction Management Program managed by SiteLogIQ officials. The data was used to help generate the first project progress report.
According to the report, contractors have been procuring materials for the site “with a focus on long lead items in efforts to best manage the current market volatility for best practice attempts to avoid schedule impacts.”
Throughout June and July, contractors “mobilized” the site while holding multiple coordination and preinstallation meetings focusing on “quality and safety,” the Executive Summary states. Safety fencing was installed around the site before site engineering began; and the building pad for foundation work was completed ahead of schedule.
Soil mitigation, electrical and plumbing work, building sequence planning, layout and retaining wall construction all occurred during July and August, while SiteLogIQ and general construction contractor Nello Construction began schedule coordination.
Commissioner Vince Vicites said that the project has quickly overcome the few hurdles it encountered since its inception, and is still on track for completion by spring of 2023.
“We have a good team of contractors for the projects. They were all the lowest responsible bidders, and most work with the trade unions in our region, which is important,” Vicites said. “The bids were nearly $5 million lower than the projected cost of the construction for the new prison, which is great.
Vicites said the old prison is more than 130 years old and “needs replaced, so full speed ahead.”
“The citizens of Fayette County can be assured that their criminal justice system will have a new prison facility that can administer programs to inmates that can help rehabilitate them for the future,” he said. “We’ll be cutting a ribbon on the new prison in less than two years.”
Commissioner Scott Dunn said he’s pleased to see the new prison project’s construction “progressing on time and on budget.”
“It’s great to see so many local subcontractors being utilized,” Dunn said. “While it’s never popular to build a new jail, it’s much needed given the age and condition of the existing facility; and what people forget sometimes is that our employees work inside those walls, so we are improving their work environment, as well. Building this jail now was in the best long-term interest of Fayette County.”
Commissioner Chairman Dave Lohr said he’s been advocating for the prison project since before taking office, “for the good of both the staff and inmates,” and he’s “so pleased” his vision is coming to fruition.
“The new prison is coming along nicely. Just as we’re doing in every other office and department in the county, we’re looking for this project to be both cost-effective and cutting-edge. That’s a tall order,” Lohr said. “For this project, we’re benefiting from a low-interest USDA loan, and we’re building in space for some innovative services and training for our inmates; and the residents of Fayette County get it. You don’t often hear people talking about being excited about a new prison, but that’s what I’m hearing on the street.”
Lohr said the county used local contractors for the new facility’s construction, where possible, and that any contractors that aren’t local are subcontracting with local firms.
“Our contractors are doing outstanding work. We have so much untapped talent and expertise in Fayette County; it’s important that we recognize and build on that. I applaud the work they’re doing and their dedication to excellence in this project,” Lohr said. “Among the many duties counties are charged with by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we’re tasked with supporting the courts with corrections and criminal justice programs, including the county prison. I don’t take this responsibility lightly, and the thought and planning that has gone into this project underscores that.”
Lohr referenced the old construction adage, “Measure twice, cut once,” adding that, “before you ever get to measuring and cutting, you need to have a well-thought-out plan. He said the county’s not just building for today or tomorrow, but “for the future.”
“I don’t want to look back in five years and second-guess the decisions made today. We worked diligently to come up with a solid plan; a plan that fit our financial parameters while meeting the needs of staff and inmates alike; a plan that would stand the test of time for years to come. That’s what’s exciting,” Lohr said. “It’s been a painstaking process with attention paid to every detail. It’s really teamwork at its finest and a great example of what Fayette County is capable of.”
To read the full report or learn more about the ongoing Fayette County Prison Project, visit the project page at www.fayettecountypa.org/797/Fayette-County-Prison-Project.
To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.FayetteCountyPA.org.
Editor's Note: Photos attached (Fayette County Prison Construction; Fayette County Prison Construction2; Fayette County Prison Construction3; Fayette County Prison Construction4)
Original source can be found here.
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