Cape Girardeau County to acquire homes for jail expansion needs

Cape Girardeau County is closing this week on three residential properties in the 200 block of Cherry Street in Jackson to make room for additional parking for the approved expansion of the county jail at 216 N. Missouri St.

The properties are two single-family residences and a structure housing a fourplex.

Collectively, the county will pay the owners a total of $595,000, according to Kristi Nitsch, County Commission executive administrative assistant.

Demolition is expected to begin Monday, April 10, Second District Commissioner Charlie Herbst said .

Herbst added that the homes were not acquired via the eminent domain process.

On Jan. 9, the commission approved a nearly $48 million contract with the design-build team of Penzel-Treanor for the project.

An anticipated $10 million of the funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Completion of the work, which is expected to yield a total of 495 beds at the lockup, is slated for Dec. 31, 2024.