Proposed Franklin County prison price set at $825M
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The site of the proposed prison in Franklin County. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios
The estimated total cost for the proposed 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County is now $825 million, according to a Monday memo from a construction management company.
Why it matters: Before the memo, cost estimates for the project varied widely — from the $470 million figure cited by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders two years ago to the $1.5 billion estimate from opponents like state Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest).
- An unknown price tag is a sticking point in getting an appropriations bill passed during this legislative session.
State of play: Following the new estimate, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Little Rock) filed SB354, which seeks appropriations "not to exceed" $750 million for the proposed prison.
Flashback: The amount is more than double a bill that failed to make it through the Joint Budget Committee last week.
- Members largely voted against the requested $330 million appropriations bill due to the lack of a firm estimate.
The big picture: Arkansas prisons frequently have more inmates than capacity, data analyzed by Axios shows. About 2,000 people remain in county jails each month while awaiting a bed in a prison, so Gov. Sanders and former Gov. Asa Hutchinson have worked to increase the state's ability to house inmates.
- However, many Franklin County residents, caught off guard by an announcement that the state had purchased land for the project, opposed it. They cite poor infrastructure, challenging topography, a lack of workforce and fear of declining land values.
Context: The Department of Corrections contracted with Vanir Construction Management for $16.5 million in October to manage the eventual general contractor.
- In its letter, the company said $825 million was a preliminary projection, noting environmental requirements, site-specific layouts and an operational needs assessment have yet to be done.
What they're saying: "From our perspective, a one-page opinion based estimate without any supporting data and full of caveats and lists of work that hasn't been done does not constitute a full and complete estimate," Adam Watson, executive director of Gravel & Grit, an advocacy group that opposes the prison project in Franklin County.
- "Putting forward even a preliminary estimate that is larger than last fiscal year's entire [state budget] surplus should be a non-starter for a legislature allegedly committed to fiscal responsibility."
Sen. Dismang did not immediately respond to questions from Axios.
"This estimate lets us move forward quickly on the long-overdue prison project and build a safer, stronger Arkansas. I look forward to working with our partners in the legislature to get this appropriation passed," Gov. Sanders said in a news release Monday.
What we're watching: The Joint Budget Committee meets again on Thursday, but its agenda hasn't yet been posted, so it's unclear if the new appropriations bill will be considered.