Richmond City Council voted 7-2 to hire Tompkins/Ballard to design and construct the new Richmond City Jail. The final vote comes just three days after the postponed vote on Monday.
Two council members voted against Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ recommendation of Tompkins/Ballard to build the new jail with a price tage of 116.5 million dollars. Councilman Bruce Tyler and Councilman Marty Jewell voted “no” because of minority exclusion and the vetting process of Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture.
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement:
“This has been a much anticipated vote and I want to thank City Council for acting on our recommendation. We are confident that this is the right outcome. This is the right decision for our city, the law enforcement officers and the inmates. The citizens of Richmond thank you and the dedicated sworn officers that work at the City Jail thank you.
“It is now time for Tompkins/Ballard to engage and deliver on this project to the standards of excellence that their proposal represents and that led to their selection. It should be clear that I see this as only the beginning and we will hold the selected firm accountable throughout the process. Just as we’ve been intentional about our efforts to build a new jail, we will be intentional about the outcomes that we expect to see as a result of this project. We will be fully engaged throughout the remainder of this process.”
Get full details on the new jail project from: www.richmondgov.com
