The Niagara County Legislature approved a $3 million contract with LaBella PC to conduct a feasibility study on updating the county jail.
The study will look into replacing the older half of the jail built in 1961. It’s replacement would better match the other half, which opened in 1996, that utilizes a pod-style system of cells instead of a traditional linear cell block design.
The jail on Niagara Street Extension has a 445-inmate capacity, 209 in the older portion and 236 in the newer section. The older jail had been in use 24/7 since completion, has high maintenance costs, asbestos issues, and parts for cell locks and jail doors need to be custom made, according to Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
The sheriff previously said the newer designs are less labor-intensive and more supervision friendly.
This study may take up to a year to complete after which a construction proposal will be presented to the county outlining the plans, project cost and when it would be completed.
LaBella has a track record of working with state corrections on new jails. The firm designed the new $70 million Genesee County Jail in Batavia, first proposed in 2020 and planned to open in spring 2024.