Restoration of Flathead County’s historic old jail building south of the main courthouse is on track, with construction set to begin by late summer.

The county recently negotiated a $243,000 contract with CTA Architects and Engineers for the design development, architectural work and construction administration of the project.

Asbestos and lead paint throughout the 1903 building are key environmental issues, County Administrator Mike Pence said. The county is using federal Brownfields Program grant funding to remove the hazardous materials prior to the renovation.

If the environmental cleanup work is completed on schedule the county would advertise for construction bids in June and award a construction contract in early July, Pence said.

The $1.5 million upgrade will enable the county to relocate the County Attorney offices to the historic building. The old jail hasn’t housed prisoners for decades, but has been used for storage of janitorial supplies and miscellaneous equipment.

A metal maintenance shop and a garage — both added to the building decades ago — will be demolished. Architectural improvements will be done to the building’s exterior to conceal a fire escape and make the facility aesthetically pleasing since it’s the southern entrance to Kalispell’s historic downtown district, Pence said.

“It’ll have curb appeal,” he added.

Overhead wires will be placed underground. Creating a plaza similar to the new common area between the courthouse and jail is part of the plan.  

A corner of the jail building houses the office for the Juvenile Detention Center manager, and that office will be relocated to the adjacent detention center. CTA’s contract includes modifications to the detention center.

Pence anticipates the exterior work would wrap up this fall, so that construction crews can focus on the interior over the winter months in the coming year.

Pence proposed the old jail restoration after he studied facility needs at the Justice Center and realized the Clerk of Court, Justice Court and County Attorney’s Office all need more space. While an addition to the Justice Center would have cost an estimated $5.5 million, the county stands to save about $4 million by restoring and utilizing the old jail.