A joint venture between Nabholz Construction and JE Dunn has been selected to build a proposed $825 million, 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, Arkansas — a project that, if completed, would represent one of the largest public construction efforts in recent state history.

The Arkansas Board of Corrections approved the construction team — made up of Conway, Arkansas-based Nabholz and Kansas City, Missouri-based JE Dunn — during a vote on Thursday. The new facility would house a range of inmates, from minimum- to maximum-security, with the aim of reducing overcrowding in both state and county jails, according to the project's official website.

Announced in October 2024 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the planned site encompasses 815 acres in the Vesta community, just outside of Charleston. However, despite selecting a construction team and project site, the state has yet to secure full funding.

A bill that would have appropriated up to $750 million for the prison has failed multiple times in the Arkansas Senate this year, according to reporting from 40/29 News. In the meantime, the Corrections Board is using $75 million already set aside for prison construction to advance early-stage work, as reported by the Arkansas Advocate on May 15.

A significant portion of the community has pushed back on the project. Residents have raised concerns about limited local infrastructure, challenging terrain, labor shortages, and the potential for declining property values. Some are also skeptical of the project’s financial scope.

Opponents have questioned the Board’s $825 million cost estimate, with watchdog nonprofit Gravel & Grit arguing that the true figure could reach $1.5 billion — and that number doesn’t include the infrastructure improvements likely needed to support the prison. In March, an amendment to a failed appropriations bill proposed a restricted reserve fund with up to $1 billion set aside for the facility, according to 5 News Online.

Despite these funding and community hurdles, state officials are pressing ahead with preliminary work. In October 2024, the Corrections Board approved a $16.5 million contract with Sacramento, California-based Vanir Construction Management to oversee the project. The design team includes HDR, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and Little Rock-based Cromwell Architects Engineers, who were selected in April.

Environmental and historical studies are ongoing at the Vesta site. A cultural resource survey may also be conducted after members of the Chickamauga Nation voiced concerns that their ancestors may be buried on the land, Axios reported last week.

While the final cost and timeline for the project remain uncertain, state leaders continue to defend the need for the facility.

Originally reported by Julie Strupp in Construction Dive.