Controversial jail and new highway extension broke ground Wednesday
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)--Wednesday, Pueblo County officials broke ground for the very first time on a new jail. The Net Zero Energy state-of-the-art Detention Center jail is projected to cost approximately $140 million and the new boulevard extension is projected to cost $40 million.
Last year, Pueblo County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to pay for a new jail in Pueblo County, and an extension to Joe Martinez Boulevard, providing another route from Pueblo West to Pueblo. They unveiled the new name of the new extension Wednesday. It will be called Medal of Honor Blvd.
The Boulevard Extension will be made up of recycled plastic bags just like you find in the grocery store. According to Pueblo County officials, it will be the first in the world to construct this long road using this method.
The highway will also consist of electric vehicle charging stations, and a trail system.
Pueblo County commissioner, Garrison Ortiz, said this project will pull a tremendous amount of traffic off of Highway 50 and 25.
Pueblo County Sheriff, Kirk Taylor, said he has been working on getting a new jail since he was elected in 2006. Taylor said the jail had a lot of structural issues that were costing the county lots of money. He said the county just needs a new jail.
"A jail is really the foundation of the criminal justice system you have to have. Unfortunately, it's not a sexy thing. People don't want it. They don't want to pay for it. But it is a necessary instrument of a community. And so I'm very happy that we were finally able to get this to come to fruition," said Taylor.
But, this new jail has had some controversy over the years. Since 2015, the county has tried to pass a sales tax to fund a new jail several times over the years but voters had shut it down every time.
Ortiz said every project always comes with some resistance. He said there has been some misinformation about where the money is coming from.
While a sales tax increase was shut down by voters in 2019, they did approve a sales tax increase for recreational cannabis products within the county. Ortiz said along with financial maneuvering the cannabis sales tax increase is a primary driver to help pay for the project.
Oritz said Pueblo County has been pouring lots of money into repairs for the existing jail. He said they could only do some much.
"The infrastructure in that existing facility is absolutely shot... it's not a safe facility for our people and for the sheriff's staff to work in. And a lot of these folks are pre adjudicated, meaning that they are innocent until proven guilty," said Ortiz.
Pueblo County officials said the new jail and the Joe Martinez Blvd. extension will be finished by October 2024.
