OREGON – Ogle County is wasting no time moving forward with its plan to build a new jail behind the judicial center in downtown Oregon.
At its meeting Jan. 16, the County Board approved an amendment to the contract for HOK, the architectural company that is designing the jail. Board chairman Kim Gouker said the firm is already at work on the project.
The board also approved adding the 100 block of Sixth St. to the county’s highway system. That is required by the state as part of the county’s plan to close a portion of the street for the construction of the new, proposed 180-bed, $28 million jail.

The closing of Sixth St. was a major sticking point in the plan to build the new jail behind the Judicial Center. After months of negotiations, the City of Oregon on Dec. 19 finally approved the plan to transfer that portion of the street to the county.
The county is also current seeking a construction manager to oversee the project. Gouker said a special board meeting could be called by the end of the month to confirm the hire if the right person is found.
Gouker previously said that to get the project completed by the end of 2019 or early 2020, the county would need to break ground by the fall of 2018.
In other action, the board approved raising the fees for filing notices with the county from $15 to $25. That new fee will be effective starting June 1.