The old track just outside of Ephrata has been purchased by Grant County and will be the home for a new jail that will initially be able to house more than 500 inmates. The design is expandable for at least one more wing - also referred to as a pod - that would house another 500-plus inmates. The new jail is expected to break ground just over a year from now after the design phase is completed.
October 10, 2022
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Grant Co. Jail project planning moves forward
EPHRATA — A request for proposals for site preparation for the new Grant County Jail is tentatively scheduled to be issued in December. A preliminary plan for the new facility is in the works and is still subject to change due to construction costs, among other factors. “That’s why it’s important for us to get this general contractor on board,” Grant County Central Services Director Tom Gaines said. “Because as we start to really detail all this stuff out, we’ll start getting pricing. And we’ll start to get a real idea of what our budget is going to look like, and then we’ll know if we’re overextended or not. We have a plan that we want to stick to.” County voters approved a three-tenths of 1% increase in the county’s sales tax in 2019, with the money going toward law and justice projects including a new jail. Grant County Commissioners approved the sale of up to $90 million in limited tax general obligation bonds for the project in July...