Whatcom County is likely looking at a higher price for the upcoming jail and behavioral health construction project because of myriad factors, including inflation and rising construction costs.
The new cost estimate for the justice facility is sitting around $174 million, up 16% from the initial estimate, said county Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler during a presentation from the Whatcom County Executive’s Office on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
When voters approved a 0.2% sales tax increase to fund the project in 2023, the new jail and behavioral health facility was projected to cost $150 million based on having up to 440 beds and demolishing the existing county jail.
Revenue collections started in June. In the financing agreement between the county and the cities, Bellingham, Blaine, Everson, Ferndale, Lynden, Nooksack and Sumas are contributing 75% of revenue collected from the sales tax into the capital funds project, which includes paying for the construction bond, while Whatcom County will contribute 100% of its portion.
Bellingham’s remaining revenue collection will go toward investing in behavioral and social services. The smaller cities’ remaining contribution goes toward public safety expenses.
Schott-Bresler said she wasn’t surprised by the increased cost, and that the interlocal agreements between the county and cities had a mechanism built in for this scenario.
“I am not worried about not being able to fund this project,” she told Cascadia Daily News. “It’s the end product that could shift a little bit based on constraints.”
Design of the new facility won’t start until early 2025, including size, budget, operation model and service delivery, according to a memo from the county. The new jail is likely to be built on 40 acres in south Ferndale at the intersection of La Bounty Road and Sunset Avenue.
Whatcom County Council Member Todd Donovan said as the council continues to get quarterly updates about the project, he also wants council members to be apprised of the capital costs.
“If it goes over $100 million or $200 million, then what do we do?” he said. “Do we rescale the capital to be less ambitious or do we rescale the services to be less ambitious? Hopefully we don’t have to do that, but anticipating, potentially, inflation and capital costs, those are really important updates.”
The project will also have oversight from the Finance and Facility Advisory Board, made up of members from the county, Bellingham and the small cities, the sheriff’s office and co-chairs from the Incarceration Prevention Reduction Task Force. The board will make recommendations related to the finance, construction and operations of the facility.
Jed Holmes, the spokesperson for the Executive’s Office, said it’s early days yet on the justice project. The size of the jail and alternative diversion programs will be planned and discussed with stakeholders before a final cost is determined.
It took nearly eight years for voters to approve the construction of a new jail. A CDN special report in 2023 found conditions in the jail — such as overcrowding, windowless cells and no facilities for those in mental health crisis — inhumane for inmates and correctional workers.
The earliest the facility could open is 2028.
This story was updated Wednesday, Oct. 23, with more information.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
