A new report is narrowing the field of possible new men’s prison locations in the state.
Its primary recommendation is the state build on a contentious plot of land in Lincoln County.
Of the 13 proposed locations in the state, architecture firm Arrington Watkins says the best plot of land for a new men’s prison is one the Republican-controlled state Legislature is already skeptical of.
"Based on our site analysis and choosing by advantages method of ranking potential sites the top ranked site for Development is the Existing Lincoln County SDDOC site. This site is 10 miles from Sioux Falls, is not in proximity to major interstates, railroads, or major waterways, has the size for a full build of 1,728 [beds]," the report reads.
The firm says the size and location make the existing Lincoln County site a strong candidate to build a 1,700 bed men’s prison.
The Lincoln County site "only scored poorly for site utilities and potential additional cost during development. Due to the fact that the state already owns this land some of the total development costs are minimized compared to other sites that require purchase and development costs."
The site location stirred fierce opposition from locals and state lawmakers, who refused to greenlight a maximum $825 million bid to start construction. In response, Republican lawmakers even failed to transfer extra money into a pool of dollars meant to finance what could be the largest project in state history.
The current men’s prison is 144 years old. It’s been around since before statehood. Last month, the Project Prison Reset task force unanimously agreed the current prison should be retired.
Tuesday morning, a working group of state lawmakers, law enforcement and corrections officials will meet to discuss the report and any next steps it thinks the state should make.
The report acknowledged other sites could work for a new men’s prison — including sites in Huron, Mitchell and Worthing — as well as the former Citi Bank campus in Sioux Falls.
However, proximity to roadways and distance from Sioux Falls make some locations less than ideal.
The task force has two more meetings to decide on a prison project site, as well as size. On July 22, state lawmakers are scheduled to meet for a special session to authorize the task force’s recommendation.
