Nebraska Picks Hausmann Construction for $313M State Prison Near Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) has selected Hausmann Construction, a Lincoln-based firm, to build the state’s new 1,512-bed correctional facility just north of Interstate 80.

Hausmann submitted the lowest base bid of $313.3 million, undercutting two competing joint ventures: Sampson Construction/Caddell Construction, which bid $344.3 million, and Clark Construction/MCL Construction, which bid $341 million. Each competing team included at least one Nebraska-based company.

The state legislature had previously allocated $350 million for the project, and officials expressed relief that the bids came in well below budget expectations.

Correctional Services Director Rob Jeffreys emphasized the fiscal significance of the bid outcome. “The bids came ‘well below’ similar construction projects in other states,” Jeffreys said, adding that the project would remain within the state’s financial parameters.

“As with any NDCS construction project, there will be ongoing evaluation for efficiencies,” the department noted in a news release, referencing cost elements like land acquisition and site preparation that will be funded within the original appropriation or existing department resources.

A Major Step Toward Modernizing Nebraska Corrections

The prison, designed to house 1,512 inmates, will be located near North 70th Street and I-80, close to Lincoln. It represents the state’s most ambitious correctional construction effort in decades and is expected to help relieve overcrowding while enhancing safety and rehabilitation efforts.

“This marks an important step forward in our mission to create a safer, more effective correctional system,” said Jeffreys.

“Hausmann Construction is a local company who understands our commitment to fiscal responsibility, completing this project the Nebraska way,” he continued. “Their sub-contractors are high-performing and many are local — keeping business in Nebraska. We are ready to work side by side to bring this vision to life for our staff, our state and those we serve.”

Local Experience Backed by a Strong Project Portfolio

Hausmann Construction brings a strong track record of complex public projects to the table. The company has led recent developments such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Osborne Legacy Complex, Westbrook Music Hall, the Central Nebraska Veterans Home, expansions at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, and multiple school and municipal buildings across the state.

The project is now in the contract finalization phase, with construction anticipated to begin in early fall 2025. Once completed, the prison will play a critical role in supporting NDCS’s goals of expanding capacity, enhancing safety, and improving operational efficiency within the state’s correctional infrastructure.

Originally reported by Zach Wendling in Nebraska Examiner.