Woodbury County Board Approves Old Jail Demolition Contract

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a $48,000 contract with CMBA Architects to develop demolition plans and specifications for the old Law Enforcement Center (LEC) in Sioux City, with the process expected to take about two to three months. Following plan approval, the county will initiate the bidding process for demolition, which is estimated to last three to four months, after which site preparation will take an additional two months before returning the property to the City of Sioux City. The old LEC, built in 1987 on a former gas station site contaminated with benzene gas, was decommissioned after the new $70 million Woodbury County LEC opened in September 2024. Prior remediation efforts for benzene gas have ceased, though the site remains classified as high risk, with some asbestos materials found during a recent hazardous materials study. Funding for the demolition project comes from a capital improvement fund exceeding $1 million, reflecting the county's commitment to advancing this redevelopment. The project aligns with a 2020 decision to discontinue costly repairs to the old facility in favor of constructing a new center.