KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County officials and lawmakers officially broke ground on the new Jackson County Detention Center Wednesday morning at 7000 East 40 Highway.
Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., Missouri Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver and Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté were among those who attended the groundbreaking Wednesday.
“The Administration and Legislature have worked collaboratively and thoughtfully to reach this critical part of the project," White said in a statement, "We have complete confidence in the abilities of the JE Dunn | Axiom | DLR Team to carry out our vision for a state-of-the-art detention facility that meets the safety and security needs of detainees, staff and our community for decades to come.”
The new detention center in Jackson County will have about 1,200 beds at the center. The total cost of the center comes around $260 million.
Jackson County cited the need for the new center due to a variety of factors, the most notable being overcrowding at other facilities in the area.
Work of the new detention center began in July 2021 after lawmakers approved an ordinance that cleared the way for the new detention center.
The land the detention center will be on was previously home to the Heart Mobile Village. The county legislature approved a $1.7 million relocation plan in August 2021, which included giving $10,000 per family living at the Heart Village Mobile Home Park.
Work on the new detention center is expected to be last until the summer of 2024.
