The future of a larger Flathead County jail is still in limbo, but the possibility of housing the new detention center in the old Walmart building in Evergreen is potentially back on the table.
Last year, the county pursued purchasing the empty building as a solution to an increasingly packed jail. The county has had plans for a new facility for years, and had developed a seven-year plan to save up to $20 million needed to build a new jail.
But given the consistent jail overcrowding – last weekend saw the highest ever number of inmates at 124 – Flathead County administrator Mike Pence said the county may have to move up its timeline.
That won’t mean a jail is built in the next year though, he said, and this situation is going to take time. The county did not receive a $45,000 federal grant that would have helped pay for planning a new jail or selecting a site.
The county offered $2.8 million for the 130,000-square-foot building in Evergreen, looking like it had the deal wrapped up, but by September, the county’s offer was turned down when a new buyer came on the scene.
Now, that specific deal looks like it could fall through as well, and Pence said the county is still interested in the building.
“They know what our position is,” Pence said of the sellers. “We made an offer that was based on an appraisal that we can’t go above.”
While the Walmart building might have a nice shell, the inside would have to be completely different, Pence said, and building a jail is an expensive enterprise. The county may reapply for the planning grant when a new fiscal year dawns in July, Pence said, but it will depend on its situation at the time.