Findorff starts work on $65.9M juvenile prison in Dane County

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Work is underway on a $65.9 million expansion of the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, the first in a series of county-run facilities to ultimately replace the troubled Lincoln Hills prison in northern Wisconsin.

Crews led by Findorff broke ground Thursday on the project to add 50 new bedrooms and a host of other features to the Mendota facility, which is the first of four regional facilities to replace Lincoln Hills after a series of scandals at the facility in Irma, north of Wausau. While lawmakers voted to close Lincoln Hills and the Copper Lake prisons in 2018, the Legislature never authorized money for a replacement facility. The state as a result missed its own deadline last summer for closing the facilities.

The Mendota project covers about 100,000 square feet of new and renovated space across the campus, and starts with the construction of a two-story addition to the existing facility. The juvenile prison only serves boys currently, but would have beds for 20 girls when the project wraps up in early 2025.

“Whether as a result of past trauma or even just the difficulties faced these past two years, young people across our state are facing mental and behavioral health challenges — an issue, unfortunately, the pandemic has only further underscored and, in many ways, worsened,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “Expanding the services at MJTC will help provide more of Wisconsin’s kids with the help, support, and treatment they need to get back on the right track.”

Evers created the bonding authority for the Mendota project with a partial veto in the 2019-2021 budget and the state Building Commission advanced the project last spring.

Lawmakers earlier this month also sent Evers a bill to borrow $42 million for the construction of youth prison similar to Mendota in Milwaukee County, although Evers has yet to act on the bill. The Building Commission in February authorized money for planning and design work for that project. The bill doesn’t specify a location for the facility, but would require local approval for construction to move forward.

The renovated and expanded Mendota facility would accommodate 93 residents between nine housing units once the project is complete. Work begins with the construction of new housing units, followed by new administrative areas and a visitors center. The facility is expected to remain open while construction is ongoing.

Findorff won a bid for the lead construction contract on the project in December after the state Department of Administration let MEP bids in October. Architecture firm BWBR designed the project.