A multi-million dollar expansion in Carlton County to house the states most dangerous sex offenders is close to finishing its first construction stage.

Trevor Roy was in Moose Lake and has an update on the construction.

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program in Moose Lake is expanding in two phases.

Phase one is due to be completed in March and will add 4-hundred beds to the facility.

8th district state senator Tony Lourey says the Moose Lake MSOP hospital is being expanded to accommodate the growing population of habitual sex offenders in Minnesota.

"At the completion of phase two it is slated to be a 950 bed facility that will serve into the foreseeable future the entire population of the M.S.O.P world so 950 beds is the completed goal and that will be all of the sex offender population of the state of Minnesota."

Phase two will add another wing to the facility.

Lawmakers agree that the need to safely house dangerous sex offenders is there but have not provided all the money requested for the expansion.

Phase one was fully funded last legislative session, but law makers failed to approve the necessary funds for phase two.

Moose Lake City Administrator David Talbot Jr. says the city was prepared for the budget shortfall as it relates to expanded city infrastructure.

"We found ourselves in the position where we've had to modify our work plan if you will, so we've worked with both of the contractors who were the apparent low-bidders on our projects and there're working with us to phase this till the state catches up at the next legislative session."

The City of Moose Lake has had on going relationship with the Department of Health who manages the MSOP and the Department of Corrections which runs the federal prison, Talbot says although people don't like violent offenders in their back yard, they deal with it because of one thing...Jobs.

"We look at it as an opportunity to provide to jobs not only to the city but also to the region so we're anticipating at the end of phase two is that we will have in excess of two-thousand permanent jobs in moose lake."

Senator Lourey agrees and says public safety is the number one concern for hospital and prison staff.

"We have the staff, the trained staff, hard working dedicated individuals who show up on time trained ready to take on the challenges of a secure hospital setting and provide the public safety and the first class treatment that is required of a program like this."

In Moose Lake, Trevor Roy, The NorthlandsNewscenter.

Senator Lourey expects the legislature to tackle the funding for the MSOP next legislative session.