Caddell Construction Co. (DE), LLC did not complete Alabama’s Gov. Kay Ivey Correctional Complex by its October 15, 2026 contractual deadline. The prison is reported more than 85% complete, but Alabama has not announced a revised opening date and is enforcing the contract’s delay remedies.
What happened at the Elmore County prison
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) confirmed that the design-build contractor, Caddell Construction Co. (DE), LLC, missed the final completion date for the Gov. Kay Ivey Correctional Complex in Elmore County. The deadline in the design-build agreement was October 15, 2026.
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ADOC reports that construction is still progressing and is more than 85% complete. The project is a $1.25 billion, 4,000-bed men’s prison intended to replace aging Alabama facilities. Missing the contractual date does not release Caddell from its obligation to finish the work; the state says construction remains the contractor’s responsibility.
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The contract provides for liquidated damages when the facility is not completed on time. The Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority (ACIFA) notified Caddell that the amount accrued after the missed deadline was due and allocated contractually withheld funds toward payment.
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| Contract or project item | Reported figure and qualification |
|---|---|
| Project value | $1.25 billion, as reported by ADOC in 2026 |
| Planned capacity | 4,000 beds |
| Construction status | More than 85% complete, according to ADOC |
| Liquidated damages currently due | Approximately $14.2 million after the October 15, 2026 deadline |
| Further contractual damages | Approximately $7.1 million due on November 16, 2026 if the project remains unfinished |
ADOC has said that the schedule, completion timing and cost implications are still being assessed. The department has not supplied a revised completion or opening date.
What warning signs appeared before the missed deadline
July concern about the October date
On July 28, 2026, ADOC said there was a “reasonable concern” that the project might miss October 15. ACIFA responded by using remedies available under the design-build agreement. Those measures included requiring Caddell to add contractors or workers, add shifts and accept payment withholding.
ADOC described the required response as “extraordinary measures,” indicating that the owner was seeking additional production rather than simply granting more time. The July warning did not establish a cause for the delay, and the state has not publicly attributed the missed date to a particular trade, design issue, material shortage or other factor.
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The schedule had already moved once
The prison’s initial opening target was May 2026. That target was pushed to October, producing the October 15 date written into the contract. The October deadline was then missed despite the additional measures described by ADOC.
What the complex is designed to contain
Capacity and medical services
The Elmore County facility is one of two new men’s prisons Alabama authorized, with a planned capacity of 4,000 beds. Its program includes a 720-bed medical and mental-health area, a substantial component of the overall complex rather than a separate project.
Enabling and site work
ADOC’s 2021 project announcement identified early work such as clearing and grubbing, grading, erosion control, parking, roads, utilities, fencing and piping. Those activities support the later vertical construction and are part of the broader delivery effort; the public statements about the missed deadline do not identify which of these or other scopes remain incomplete.
How the contract treats a late completion
The state lease defines the project’s “Critical Path” as the longest chain of logically connected activities that ends with the facility being ready for occupancy. Under that definition, a delay to any critical-path activity can affect the occupancy date.
Liquidated damages are a pre-agreed contractual remedy, separate from proving an exact dollar loss in court. In this case, ACIFA has used withheld contract payments to address the amount it says is currently due while requiring Caddell to continue the work. The state has not said that the withheld funds or the damages assessment represent a final settlement of every cost associated with the delay.
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Unfinished construction items
ADOC’s statements do not list the buildings, systems, inspections, commissioning tasks or other work preventing final completion. A completion percentage alone cannot show whether the remaining work is concentrated in a few critical systems or spread across the site.
Cause of the delay
Neither ADOC’s July warning nor its October update identifies a root cause. The missed deadline by itself is not evidence of a particular failure by a subcontractor, designer, supplier or public agency.
Opening date
No replacement completion or inmate-move date has been published in the current reports. Until ADOC and ACIFA finish their schedule assessment, the October 15 contractual date is the last public milestone that can be measured, and November 16 is the next damages date specified in the contract if the facility remains unfinished.
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Caddell remains obligated to complete the complex. ADOC and ACIFA are continuing to assess the schedule and financial effects while enforcing the available contract remedies. The practical milestones to watch are a state-approved revised schedule, identification of the work on the critical path, confirmation of final inspections and occupancy readiness, and any further contractual action if the November deadline is also missed.
For now, the clear result is a late, still-active construction project: Alabama’s largest new prison complex remains under construction, the contractor has incurred liquidated damages under the agreement, and the state has not announced when the facility will open.
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