News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena County Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski on Wednesday shows off two of the holding cells installed at the new county jail being built on M-32. If things remain on track, the new jail should be completed in December and a transition from the current facility to the new may take place in January, he said.

ALPENA — Work on the new Alpena County Jail is entering the homestretch and contractors are working furiously to complete the project by year’s end.

Although there were some delays early on in the $11.4 million project, including brief work stoppage because of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials hope the building will be completed in December and operational in January.

Officials originally hoped the jail project would be complete in November.

On Wednesday, construction workers were busy hanging drywall, installing wire, and prepping portions of the facility for painting.

Inside the 27,000-square-foot structure is a maze of hallways, rooms, and high ceilings, designed to help run operations more efficiently than the current jail. The design will also offer maximum protection for inmates and staff, Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski said.

Voters in 2017 approved a 1-mill, 20-year property tax — costing the owner of a $100,000 house about $50 a year — to construct the jail. Many county residents were upset when a cost estimate error forced about $3 million in cuts to the jail design, reducing the size and capacity of the jail, as well as what the finished product will look like.

Kieliszewski has heard remarks from some residents that the building looks small and resembles a pole barn. He said he expects people’s minds to change when they tour the facility during an open house, which will be held before inmates are moved to the new digs.

“I think they will be surprised when they get to see it,” he said. “It really is impressive, and we’re all excited to get it done and get moved in.”

Kieliszewski said many members of his staff have already walked through the new jail and are eager for the move because of the new jail’s security and technology upgrades. He said it also includes many amenities for employees, such as an outdoor patio, numerous bathrooms, and a large break area, which Kieliszewski believes will help boost morale.

Most importantly, Kieliszewski said, when the jail is open, it will comply with all Michigan Department of Corrections guidelines, which the county hasn’t been able to do in many years at the current jail.

Check out a video below of Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski showing a cell and day room area of the new Alpena County Jail under construction. On mobile? Turn your device horizontally for the best viewing experience.>nr>

In addition to more construction work needed before the facility opens, Kieliszerwski said, there is still a lot of planning to do too. He said employees and police will need to become familiar with the new jail and all of its intricacies before operations can commence.

“We will have to create new policies and procedures, because things will be managed a lot different with all of the new technology and equipment,” he said. “When the building is done, the administration should be able to move right in, but it will take a little longer for the corrections side to make the switch, because there is a lot for it to learn. This is a completely new and large facility and there is a lot that goes into it.”

The building’s design limits the amount of direct, person-to-person contact police officers and corrections will need to have. There are a series of heavy locked doors that can be operated individually from the command center, which allows some inmates to move from one place to another without being accompanied by a guard. They will have zero access to any other part of the building other than where they are heading, and can be monitored the entire time by staff.

“If one wants to go to the gym, we can buzz them out of their cell and enter the gym, and still be confined in the corrections area,” Kieliszewski said. “It limits contact with corrections staff and overall enhances safety.”

Each inmate will have his or her own cell, which has a bed, toilet, and shower, and groups of cells are connected to day areas, where inmates can socialize, watch television, or play cards. Kieliszewski said they can only return to their cells to go to the bathroom or sleep during the day.

Each day room has cameras and corrections officers can monitor behavior from the command post. They also have direct lines of sight of the inmates.