KELLER — Construction is under way in Keller for the Regional Jail and Regional Animal Adoption Center.
Officials with Keller, Colleyville, Southlake and Westlake broke ground March 1 on the new facility, which includes 21,000 square feet of expansions and renovations to the existing Keller police building.Cost for the project, at 330 Rufe Snow Drive, is budgeted at $8.6 million and will transform the facility’s municipal court, holding facility and animal service area into a larger, more secure facility.“It’s a big undertaking, we expect it to take about 16 months to complete but when we’re finished, we will have state-of-the-art facilities designed to streamline service delivery to our taxpayers and address the incredible growth of this region over the next 20 years,” said Keller Mayor Pat McGrail.Renovations to the jail will more than triple the number of holding cells, offer additional security for employees and short-term detainees, upgrade technology and provide a kiosk for family members and friends to pay detainees’ bonds.The improved animal adoption center, which will offer about four times the current capacity for dogs and double the capacity for cats, will include a 1,700-square-foot dog courtyard, a medical area for minor surgical procedures and a larger adoption area.In December, City Council unanimously approved Ratcliff Constructors, an Addison construction company, for the project.Mark Hafner, director of public safety and police chief, told council members that out of eight qualified bids received by the city, Ratcliff had the lowest bid but was also chosen by a committee as best qualified for the project.Hafner said projects on the company's portfolio includes Euless, Forney and Saginaw police departments, Fort Worth Police Department crime lab, Parker County Jail and Colleyville City Hall.“When this facility is complete, it will serve as a model of what can be accomplished through regional partnerships,” Hafner said. “Not only will each of the four cities realize significant savings in capital, operational and maintenance costs, but we will also have collaborated to produce a more effective and efficient solution to the needs of our citizens.”The expansion follows the Oct. 1 merger of Colleyville, Keller and Southlake into a Regional Animal Control Services program.In 2007, Southlake and Keller partnered for Tarrant County’s first merger of emergency dispatch services with Colleyville joining in 2010.The regional dispatch center, Northeast Tarrant Communications Center, is housed in Keller and serves more than 60 square miles and a population of more than 90,000.Susan McFarland, 817-390-7547 Twitter: @susanmcfarland1
