In Mansfield, La., the DeSoto Parish sheriff’s office construction project has hit a brief pause. The general contractor, Russell J. Stutes Construction Co. of Lake Charles, filed for bankruptcy about a month ago, prompting the insurance carrier to step in and select a new builder.
Insurance and timeline
Sheriff Jayson Richardson told the Police Jury that the project is fully insured, so the insurance company will award a new bid within the next two weeks. Richardson estimates the change could add 60 to 90 days to the schedule, but the overall completion date for the combined sheriff’s office and detention center should remain on track.
Project scope and funding
The sheriff’s office and the new detention facility are separate but co‑located projects, together costing $35 million. The Police Jury is financing the detention center through Ratcliff Construction, while the sheriff’s office is funded directly by Richardson. He emphasized that the change in contractors will not increase the parish’s out‑of‑pocket costs, though the insurance carrier may absorb additional expenses.
“The project will cost us the same but it could cost the insurance company more money because they have to pay to have it finished,” Richardson said.
Detention center progress
Parish Administrator Michael Norton reported that work on the detention facility continues unabated. Crews are advancing on masonry, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as gutters, interior framing, recreation‑yard steel, and underground chiller lines. Exterior door and window frames and roofing are also being installed. The schedule calls for startup power on Oct. 12 and substantial completion by Jan. 20.
Police Jury updates
During the regular meeting, jurors also addressed several other items. International Paper avoided a penalty for missing a 2021 job‑creation baseline, citing pandemic‑related staffing challenges. Road‑work projects for 2027 are moving forward, with bids for the Brown Road project expected in early September and design work underway on several other county roads.
Litter crews collected roughly 1,291 bags of trash over a 72‑mile stretch of roadway in the April‑through‑June quarter. The parish’s nutrition contract for the detention facility was renegotiated, saving about $32,000 annually.
Community concerns
Juror Jimmy Holmes raised concerns about groundwater use for hydraulic fracturing, urging stricter restrictions. Lobbyist Chance McNeely said Louisiana’s water‑reuse rules are more restrictive than in some states and offered to research potential legislative changes.
Overall, officials assured residents that the sheriff’s office construction delay will not jeopardize the broader public‑safety infrastructure and that the parish remains on track to meet its 2027 budget and infrastructure goals.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
