Jail isn’t somewhere you’d ordinarily want to make an appearance.

But on Monday, county brass trekked to Roseville to help break ground on the enormous new Adult Correctional Facility, to be located at the Santucci Justice Center and open by 2013.

Clocking in at $98 million, the new jail is the largest public building effort in Placer’s history, officials said.

While Placer’s population growth has currently slowed with the recession, the County’s population is expected to grow in the future, increasing the need for jail beds.

And county officials say the lousy economic climate has a silver lining in lower construction costs.

Officials say the current jail in Auburn, most recently upgraded in 2003, will continue to operate. But post-World War II facilities that now house minimum-security inmates at the Placer County Government Center in Auburn will be closed as new facilities become available.

Why’s a new jail needed?

Overcrowding at the existing jail can lead to early releases for nonviolent offenders, law-enforcement brass said.

“The new jail will not only allow us to house more inmates, but it will enhance public safety by decreasing the time our police officers, deputies and other law enforcement officers spend transporting and booking arrestees into the facility,” Sheriff Ed Bonner said in a news release. “This will allow our public safety partners to quickly return to their assigned beats and continue to protect the community.”

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., the general contractor for the facility, has partnered with HDR Architects for the design-build construction model, and will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. Phase 1 of the facility will have 390 beds, including 120 minimum security beds, a medical unit, administration, and intake/booking/transportation, as well as a correctional kitchen and other support functions. The facility is planned to allow expansion of up to 980 beds, as well as the possible future addition of a state-funded courtroom. There will also be a subterranean connection to allow direct access to an inmate holding center in the new South Placer Courthouse. Vanir is the construction management firm working on behalf Placer County.

Designed by HDR and built by McCarthy Building Companies Inc., both of Roseville, the jail will be constructed under a “fast track” designation that speeds the process because work starts even as design is ongoing. The first phase will include a new central kitchen and other infrastructure as well as 270 regular cell beds and 170 minimum security cell beds. The site is licensed for 980 beds in all.

Other highlights of the facility will include:

* A tunnel connecting the jail to the justice center for easier transportation of inmates to court hearings.

* The creation of 100 new staff and correctional jobs.

* LEED Silver recognition, an environmentally friendly designation that officials say will in the long run reduce operations cost.