Watertown Celebrates Topping-Out Milestone for New Codington County Jail & Law Enforcement Center

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - County officials, law enforcement representatives, select community members, and construction crews gathered Thursday morning in Watertown to celebrate a major milestone in the construction of the new Codington County Jail & Law Enforcement Center. Hosted by general contractor Beckenhauer Construction, Inc. and the Codington County Sheriff’s Office, the event featured a traditional “topping-out” ceremony to celebrate the completion of the building’s structural framework at 2505 9th Ave SW.

At the 10:30 a.m. ceremony, project stakeholders and community members took part in a long-standing construction tradition by signing their names onto the final piece of structural steel. Onsite crews then hoisted the signed beam into place via crane, officially completing the vertical framing phase of the project.

The new 59,900-square-foot facility is built to expand and modernize Codington County’s public safety infrastructure. Designed to meet long-term detention and administrative needs, the completed center will feature 112 beds—including 88 beds for male housing, 20 beds for female housing, and four juvenile beds—alongside modern booking areas, administrative offices, and secure support spaces.

Progress on the Active Jobsite

A topping-out ceremony marks the moment a structure reaches its full height, shifting focus from raw framework to interior completion and detail work. Beckenhauer Construction emphasized that the milestone serves to recognize the craftsmanship, collaboration, and daily efforts of the trade workers on site.

“A topping-out ceremony marks an important moment in the life of a construction project,” Beckenhauer Construction stated. “It is an opportunity to recognize the many people whose hard work, collaboration, and craftsmanship have brought the project to this point and to celebrate the progress toward the facility’s future service to the community.”

With structural steel placement finished, construction crews will turn their attention toward roofing, mechanical and electrical installations, interior concrete slabs, and specialized control spaces. Major construction activities will continue through the remainder of the year, with overall completion slated for mid-2027.