Elkhart County officials opened bids Monday for a contract to demolish the former juvenile detention center in Goshen.
The old county jail is connected to the juvenile detention center. The old jail has been empty for about 14 years but the juvenile inmates were recently transferred to a new center that opened in Elkhart.
With the building being completely empty, officials decided to demolish the building instead of making costly renovations.
Six companies have bid for the project. Cost estimates range from $1.3 to $2.3 million.
Commissioner Mike Yoder said there are more useful ways to use the property - like additional parking, open green space, or a courts complex.
“Either way it’s a benefit to downtown Goshen because we have an empty old building that now will be demolished and will have a green site where something new can happen.”
Yoder said several different factors will go into choosing which company gets the project - like qualifications, company proposals, and price.
They hope to choose a bidder in the next few weeks and begin the project in early 2020. It’s scheduled to be completed in October.
Contact Annacaroline at acaruso@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @AnnacarolineC16
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