Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Will Move From Courthouse
SMITHFIELD – The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, and E-911 Center will relocate from the Johnston County Courthouse in Downtown Smithfield to a new Public Safety Center once it is complete. At their August meeting, County Commissioners awarded a bid for the new Center. It will be constructed on Highway 70 Business East at Yelverton Grove Road adjacent to a new County Jail currently under construction.
Eight companies bid on the new two-story 62,910 square foot Public Safety Center. Bordeaux Construction was the low bidder at $17,797,000. Other bids ranged from $17,865,400 to $20 million.
Construction is expected to begin in September 2021 with completion by March 2023. Due to rising construction costs the Public Safety Center will cost approximately $2.3 million more than the original estimate of $15.5 million. Some of the increased cost, however, is due to an additional 3,000 square foot being added to the evidence storage area.
According to the plans, the first floor of the new Public Safety Center will house the entire Sheriff’s Office, including administrative offices, investigations, narcotics division and a training area. The second floor will house Emergency Services, the Emergency Operation Center, 911 Communications and related offices. There will be a separate freestanding Evidence Storage building for the sheriff’s office.
In December 2020, commissioners voted to move forward with plans for the Public Safety Center to help alleviate overcrowding at the Johnston County Courthouse. In February 2021, commissioners agreed to solicit bids for the project.
The new county jail will be completed and operational several months before the public safety center can be finished.
Waste of taxpayer money
That’s a good way to waste taxpayers money way to go
Next, they’ll spend $17 million more to renovate the courthouse while kids go to school in mobile classroom trailers! Priorities