Today, Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced the selection of Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture as the recommended vendor for the design and construction of the new city jail. The firm was selected for the $135 million project having received the highest overall ratings of four firms competing for the work. "Technical design, value-added enhancements, life cycle cost, price and minority business involvement were areas where the Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture scored highly," Mayor Jones said. Citing extensive experience building correctional facilities in urban areas, Mayor Jones noted that the joint venture also proposed the most creative and flexible design. “Tompkins/Ballard had the only proposal that did not have a phased approach which would have required relocation of jail inmates,” said Mayor Jones. Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody noted, "The proposed design meets the core needs of the Sheriff’s Department, especially in that they propose a single-phase construction which would