The proposed expansion of the Riverside County Jail in Indio keeps getting more expensive.
Officials now estimate that it will cost $331 million to build the East County Detention Center on the site of the existing jail, a 40 percent increase from the estimates made three years ago, according to a report in The Press-Enterprise.
Ultimately, the project could top $400 million when other components – a new office building, parking garage and courtrooms – are factored into the cost.
Originally, the plan was to build a 426,200-square-foot building next to the existing jail, which covers nearly 39,000 square feet. However, county officials determined it would be better to level the jail and build a new one, the report stated.
The new complex will cover 516,000 square feet.
The project is being overseen by the county’s Economic Development Agency.