The Project Prison Reset Task Force held its final meeting Tuesday, eliminating Mitchell and Worthing from consideration and narrowing the search for South Dakota’s new state prison to two sites in Sioux Falls: one near Bahnson Avenue and another off Benson Road.
Despite earlier interest in locations like Mitchell and Lincoln County, lack of public support ultimately ruled them out. “We had to find a site that was workable for the state and feasible to pass in the legislature,” said Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen.
The Task Force unanimously recommended a facility with 1,200 cell beds and 300 dorm-style beds, capped at $650 million and designed to last 100 years. Speaker of the House Jon Hansen (R–Dell Rapids) praised the plan for saving taxpayers “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Still, concerns remain about keeping costs down. Some estimates for a 1,500-bed facility exceed $700 million. Hansen emphasized the need to compare costs with neighboring states like Nebraska and explore ways to reduce expenses.
One area of scrutiny is the Construction Manager at Risk contract, awarded to JE Dunn and Henry Carlson in a joint bid. Venhuizen clarified that while the joint venture oversees the project, all major components—such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical—will be competitively bid.
A date for the legislature’s vote on the final site and plan has not been set, following a delayed special session in June. Venhuizen expressed confidence that either Sioux Falls site would gain strong political support when the time comes.
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