Construction begins on Nebraska's new prison

The clock has begun ticking on the construction of a new prison for Nebraska.

The state announced in June it had chosen Hausmann Construction of Lincoln to build a new, 1,512-bed prison off north 70th Street, just north of Interstate 80 in the city. Now, the $312 million contract has been signed, and Hausmann was given a notice to proceed on July 24, according to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

The contract calls for the prison to be substantially completed within 1,110 days – that’s three years and two weeks, so in August, 2028. Substantial completion refers to the point at which construction is far enough advanced that a facility can begin to be used for its intended purpose.

A previous Hausmann project for a jail in Sioux City, Iowa, has been embroiled in controversy, with Iowa authorities claiming millions of dollars in damages from construction errors and delays of more than a year from when the project was supposed to be substantially complete. Hausmann blames Iowa authorities and other businesses involved in the project, and is suing them for at least $5.7 million.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has said it remains confident in the company.