Rice County Public Safety Center Update Tour

The Rice County Board of Commissioners went on a tour Tuesday, January 16, 2024 of the Public Safety Center under construction in Faribault.

They did give me permission to join them and I took a few photos.  I was along on a tour last October and the change is incredible.

That means the change has occurred in about a three month time frame.  Sheriff Jesse Thomas and others from the Rice County Sheriff's Department were also assisting in explaining what we were seeing.

There will be a total of four holding cells when the approximately $50 million dollar facility is completed.

The tour included the Sheriff's Department and jail portions of the building just off Highway 3 on the north edge of Faribabult.

There will be room for 80 people with female and male residents housed in different cell blocks in the same building.

The cell blocks are named after Rice County Lakes.  Mazaska, Cannon, French included.

There are offices in the Sheriff's Department portion of the building with large windows and offices with no windows across the hallway.

The food storage room is next to the kitchen.  There will be vending machines with food items available also.

This hallway leads into the jail area of the building.

The two training rooms are named after former Rice County deputies John Liebenstein and Terry Hanson who died in the line of duty.

The far side of the room in the above picture is the Hanson Training room with the near side Liebenstein.

Most of the building has brick but the main lobby area does have bullet proof walls.

Like church I tried to hang around in the back.

I told Sheriff Thomas I hope I am never housed at the facility but it does appear to be constructed in a way that accommodates future expansion if needed.

Do I look like a construction worker?  I do appreciate Commissioners for letting me join the tour.

The Sheriff says the building should be finished in July and become operational by October 1, 2024.