Flathead County and public safety officials beamed as they held golden shovels Wednesday afternoon at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new county jail in South Kalispell. 

Nearly 20 people involved with the project posed for the photo-op, including the three county commissioners, Sheriff Brian Heino, Jail Commander Jenny Root and Flathead County Justice of the Peace Eric Hummel.  

The day was years in the making, said Commissioner Pamela Holmquist, who was thrilled to see how far the county has progressed in getting the new, nearly $90 million public detention facility. Efforts toward the new facility began about a decade ago, she said, when the county began saving for a new jail. 

The Flathead County Detention Center on South Main Street has weathered flooding, power outages and overcrowding for the last two decades. There’s inadequate space for inmates with severe mental health and medical issues, and judges check the jail capacity before deciding whether to send individuals charged with a crime to the jail.  

“It’s been a long time coming,” Hummel said. “When I started as a prosecutor in 1998, the jail needed to be bigger.”  

Designs for the new 110,000-square-foot jail at 225 Snowline Lane include capacity for approximately 184 general population inmate beds, with an operational capacity of 220 beds. There will also be a medical care unit, 42 special housing unit beds, a courtroom and space for the Sheriff’s Office. 

County commissioners purchased the 114-acre property in early 2024 for $3.9 million. But the bigger hurdle could have been persuading voters to approve a $105 million bond to financially back the construction project. The bond earned approval in November, passing with 57% of the vote.  

“All the other counties were telling me you’ll never get it across the finish line the first time,” Holmquist said.  

The county sold $95 million in bonds within an hour on April 14, in $5,000 increments through D.A. Davidson to investors and bankers in Montana and around the country. The remaining $10 million in unissued bonds will be saved for pending project costs, as needed. 

Daniel McGee from In2itive Architect, a Missoula-based architect firm, represents the county’s interests throughout the construction project as the owner’s representative. He said ground improvements are planned for July, and construction is anticipated to start in early August.  

The estimated cost for the project lowered from $93.5 million in December to $89.8 million, he added, after bids came in 3% below estimates.  

“I’m just excited for it to get going,” he said. “Get the show in progress for the community to see what they supported.” 

Report for America Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

Flathead County officials hold shovels at a groundbreaking for the new detention center at 225 Snowline Lane on Wednesday, June 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider