Tracking Your Money: State Nursing Home for Sex Offenders Sits Empty for Year

The state of Minnesota spent nearly $10 million taxpayer dollars to build a nursing home for convicted sex offenders a state of the art, secured facility, but there's one very big problem; The new nursing home for committed sex offenders in St. Peter has sat unused for a year, because the building hasn't passed state inspection.

The building was finished last July and a ribbon cutting was held in October, but final inspections of the building hadn't taken place.

Nearly nine months later, the needed repairs still haven't been done. A hallway is too narrow, handrails and faucets are set at the wrong height and a fire alarm system locks doors instead of opening them in the event of a fire, says inspection reports. Dozens of other problems are listed in the inspections.

Meanwhile, taxpayers have had to heat and cool the empty building for a year, costing more than $5,000.

The 15 sex offenders who were supposed to be moved to the new facility are being housed in another building on the St. Peter campus. Eventually, the state says the 48-bed facility will be filled to capacity.

Our 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Investigation has caught the attention of lawmakers. As a result, the St. Peter Project will be front and center at a legislative hearing later this summer.