SANDPOINT — A proposal to develop a 28-bed juvenile detention center on the city’s north side is going out to bid.

Bonner County commissioners moved on Tuesday to solicit proposals from design/build firms to construct the facility next year.

The construction cost is capped at $4 million, but county officials are hoping bids will come in for a lesser sum.

“The building costs are still down,” Bonner County Justice Services Director Debbie Stallcup said on Tuesday.

The board also approved advertising for a request for qualifications for a project manager to provide comprehensive oversight of construction and development on the county’s behalf.

The project manager would be paid an hourly rate that has yet to be decided upon.

How to fund the project, however, is not entirely clear. Much of the funding discussion has involved a lease-to-purchase arrangement with the Panhandle Area Council or similar agency.

The bid specifications call for a pod design with a central control room that will be staffed around the clock. The project would be built to American Correctional Association standards for a high/medium security facility.

The proposal is geared toward allowing bidders to put forth innovative designs that save money or improve functionality.

“There’s a lot of flexibility within the request,” said Commissioner Joe Young.

The bid review criteria is weighted heavily toward cost, in addition to design and construction approach. Team qualifications and project experience also weigh heavily in the review.

The county is eyeing a two-acre parcel off Great Northern Road near the Woodland Drive intersection which is owned by Litehouse Foods. An appraisal of the property is pending.

The new facility would replace an existing lockup fashioned from a single-family residence. The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections can no longer certify the existing facility because of structural deficiencies.