Watertown, SD

The Codington County Jail & Law Enforcement Center reached an important milestone with the placement of the final piece of structural steel. BCI celebrated the occasion with a Topping Out ceremony alongside Codington County representatives, the design team, local community members, and members of our project team. Vice President of Operations Bill Barritt, while talking with KXLG, explained the symbolism of the Topping Out ceremony, “The flag represents patriotism and pride while the tree represents good luck moving forward.”

For a project of this size, reaching the top of the structure is more than a construction milestone. It reflects months of planning, coordination, and teamwork between the owner, Architecture Inc., TEGRA group, trade partners, and BCI.

The 59,906 SF facility will include 88 male housing beds, 20 female housing beds and four juvenile beds, along with intake, processing, support and office spaces.

With the structural frame complete, the focus has shifted to the work inside the building. In Area A, subgrade preparation is underway ahead of concrete floor pours. Area B is taking shape with CMU walls and ongoing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-ins, while framing and in-wall rough-ins continue in Area C, which will house the Sheriff and law enforcement wing. Site work is also underway, including curb and gutter, with the team working toward the first layer of asphalt before winter.

Each phase brings a new set of challenges; strong communication and collaboration across the project team continue to keep the work moving forward. We are proud of the progress made and the partnerships that have helped get the project to this point.