Construction is now underway on Kansas City’s temporary jail facility, with materials delivered to the site, groundwork completed, and the first visible components of the structure taking shape. City officials say the project remains on track to open by June 1, aligning with public safety needs ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Although early preparation began before the new year, the project recently received a boost after Kansas City councilmembers approved additional funding, allowing crews to accelerate progress and incorporate safety and medical enhancements.
Crews have already poured the foundation, and the first jail cells are now visible at the site. Additional materials are expected to arrive next week, allowing construction teams to build the full structure over the existing cells.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Martin said the project is advancing rapidly and staying within schedule.
“We’ll start seeing steel going up hopefully in the next week,” Martin said.
The current timeline represents a major improvement compared to early expectations. According to Martin, city officials initially had concerns about whether the facility could be completed in time.
“So early in that procurement process, when we put out the advertisement for proposals for this project, we weren’t really sure that we could meet the timeline that was desired,” Martin said.
Last week, city leaders approved $3 million in additional funding to strengthen safety features and expand medical services within the temporary jail.
“We felt that there are some enhancements that could be made to ultimately make it a safer facility,” Martin said.
The added funds will specifically improve safety in the sally port, where officers transport inmates, and enhance the facility’s medical capacity.
City Councilmember Crispin Rea, who supported the funding increase, said the expanded medical component was a key consideration.
“The medical component will be larger and be able to provide more services for folks,” Rea said.
Earlier in the planning process, some residents expressed concerns that funding should instead be directed toward mental health services rather than jail construction. Rea said those concerns were carefully considered by councilmembers.
“These are going to be beds for folks of a last resort. And so that’s important to know,” Rea said.
City leaders have emphasized that the facility is intended as a temporary, targeted solution to address overcrowding and operational challenges.
Once complete, the temporary jail will add up to 120 additional cells, helping the Kansas City Police Department detain offenders more efficiently and support daily law enforcement operations.
“We’ve been working hand-in-hand with KCPD, we have an officer on our team and it should really help out with their day-to-day jobs,” Martin said.
The city plans to cover the additional costs using revenue from the public safety sales tax approved by voters earlier this fall.
Originally reported by Morgan Riddell in KCTV 5.
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