ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Work continues on the Tompkins County Public Safety Building renovation project.

Public Works Director Arel LeMaro says they recently finished the majority of the work on a holding cell expansion. They’re just waiting to put the finishing touch on.

LeMaro and his team are turning their attention to the booking area.

The biggest project, and what LeMaro says, will be “major work,” could be potentially problematic.

When project planning began, the inmate population was half of what it currently is. It would have allowed people to be temporarily moved within the facility to accommodate the work, thus, no money was budgeted for potential board-outs and associated costs.

LeMaro says they’re prioritizing other parts of the project to give the jailed population a chance to come down.

Should construction ultimately require inmate board-outs, the additional money would likely come from the county’s contingency fund.

LeMaro says he’s hopeful the whole project will be done in about three months.