A new construction company is at the head of the Enumclaw Police Department building upgrade project.

During its Jan. 27 meeting, the Enumclaw City Council awarded a bid to Christensen Inc. to improve the inside of the police department building, getting the project back on track when a previous bidder last year made an error in their bid estimate and dropped out of the project.

Christensen Inc.’s bid came in at just under $429,000.

Most of the building improvements will be seen in the booking area. According to the Enumclaw Police Department, this area of the building has several deficits that impact officer safety and staff mobility, like narrow corridors and various physical and visual obstructions.

Additionally, the booking room isn’t just for officers and intakes, but also for release, attorneys, video court, medical, and more.

“Expanding the footprint of our booking area by removing existing walls and create designated areas for the previously mentioned processes will contribute to safer and more effective operation,” EPD PIO Sarah Taylor said.

The building improvements will also allow the EPD to come into compliance with the state’s Medication Opiate Use Disorder (MOUD) and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs.

“With anything related to medical and behavioral health, specific laws require a measure of anonymity and privacy,” Taylor continued. “To accommodate this standard, the redesign of our facility will create a separate area for addressing medical and behavioral health needs.”

Finally, staff currently have to exit the confinement area of the jail to provide inmates with meals, minor medical equipment, cleaning supplies, and other items that are stored in various locations around the jail.

Redesigning the layout will reduce the number of times staff have to leave the secured area for these various purposes.

Construction is expected to begin on Feb. 14 and go through the end of April, about 60 days.

The jail will be closed during this time, but EPD officers will continue their regular duties.

The jail is expected to open no later than mid-May.

Intake and bookings for misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges will be handled by other agencies outside of Enumclaw.