It was Oct. 21, 2022, when a “topping out” ceremony was held at the site of the new St. Clair County Jail. That event — an age-old tradition that takes place when the last beam is set on a project after beam has traveled across the entire county so that elected officials, county employees, and the sheriff department’s staff could sign their name to it — was eclipsed June 8, by an open house of the jail itself.

The proposal for a new jail was approved in July 2020. It has faced some challenges and obstacles along the way. Cost effectiveness was the main concern.

Since that time, the county jail in Ashville had reached its limit of Pell City inmates and the county then had to pay Talladega and Calhoun counties to house then.

Ultimately, the commission opted for the price of a new jail over that of maintaining the old. However, it was determined that building a new jail behind the courthouse, as it had already housed a correctional facility, would help offset the projected cost of a $25 million building.

This also brought more challenges. Some citizens were concerned the building would effect the aesthetic of historic downtown Pell City. Homeowners near the area were concerned about property values. The commission’s decision remained unchanged.

While there were detractors, obstacles and criticisms, the commission also had a lot of support from the community. Dozens of excited members of the community attended the open house in June. One of whom was Cathy Fine, a member of the St Clair County Board of Education.

“Sheriff (Billy) Murray and the department deserve this,” said Fine. “They keep our schools safe. We are blessed to have them.”

The new facility can house about 400 inmates. It also features increased technology, including security cameras that will allow law enforcement to spot and stop violence among the prisoners. This is a tremendous step toward making the jail as much a “a place of rehabilitation as for punishment,” according to Murray.

The new facility is a formidable structure. It was designed by CMH Architects Inc. and built by Goodgame Construction Company.

The actual date when inmates will be held in the facility has not been set.