Demolition for old Guilford County jail expected to begin in February

Guilford County's plan to demolish its old jail and build a new law enforcement administration center is now expected to be finished in 2025.

In July, the county approved a contract between Greensboro-based Blum Construction and Winston-Salem-based WC Construction, which are working in a joint venture, to lead the $23.9 million project. Demolition on the old jail building is now set to begin in February 2024.

But Board of Commissioners Chair Skip Alston said he believes the project should be started sooner.

"If we wait until February of 2024 that means that the building's been sitting there stagnant, no work being done for a whole year," Alston said at a Board of Commissioners work session last week.

Guilford County facilities director Eric Hilton says the current schedule is driven by the county's participation goals for minority or women-owned businesses. He says alongside the project the county has created a new process to engage them.

"That's been a large effort, and it's been successful but it's taken a fair bit of our resources and time," Hilton says.

Construction on the new law enforcement administration building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.