Construction recently began on a 432-bed addition to the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Virginia. The design-build team of architect/engineer PSA-Dewberry and general contractor Balfour Beatty Construction (formerly Centex Construction) is leading the $49-million project, which will include a mix of medium- and maximum-security housing.

The jail expansion is among the first to be constructed under Virginia's Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) of 2002. "The PPEA enables us to get everything done more quickly—the timeline is much shorter," says Joseph Higgs, Jr., superintendent of the Rappahannock Regional Jail. "The design-build process will allow us to occupy the new space sooner, which will be a tremendous financial savings for our jurisdictions."

New facilities will include a two-story, four-level housing pod. The existing structure will be renovated to increase storage, reconfigure visitation, add a new magistrate's space, and improve intake areas. PSA-Dewberry is also providing interior design and security technology services, including the addition of a video visitation system. Dewberry is providing civil engineering for the project.

"The Virginia Department of Corrections looks upon the PPEA as an effective and streamlined process for building jail facilities, and I agree," says Higgs. "Barring unusual circumstances or weather delays, we'll be finished six to eight months sooner than we would have with a traditional construction delivery. This approach reduces costs, but maintains quality. We will meet all of the state's stringent guidelines with this facility."

The complex, which serves the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, and King George, has been operating since 1968 and has been located at the current Stafford site since 2000.

About the Virginia PPEA: Encouraging Partnerships

Virginia's Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA) enables public entities to create public-private partnerships to develop projects for public use, and allows these partnerships to "acquire, design, construct, improve, renovate, expand, equip, maintain, or operate" qualifying projects. Facilities may include schools, treatment plants, telecommunications infrastructure, and other buildings "for principal use by any public entity." The legislation encourages design-build delivery methods and innovative approaches to financing construction.