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FORT MADISON, IA -- Don't expect any activity in Des Moines next week regarding the future of the state prison in Fort Madison.

Senator Gene Fraise told KHQA Fort Madison won't see any changes for at least the next four years.

The idea for a new state prison initially started when two convicts escaped in November 2005. Senator Gene Fraise said the current facility is outdated and needs to be shaped like most prisons today, in a semi-circle.

Fort Madison Mayor Steve Ireland said the prison is vital to the area's economic development.

"It's put millions and millions of dollars into Fort Madison's economy, right now, I believe we have about 500 employees at the state penitentiary and that is quite a number of high quality paid jobs for the city of Fort Madison so it's very essential to keep those jobs here," Ireland said.

Senator Gene Fraise said Iowa needs a new state prison, but the federal government isn't giving any assistance. But he says once there's a new president in the White House, Fort Madison will be the front runner for an upgrade.

"My thought process is that if we're going to build a new one and that seems to be what the governor and the leadership are saying, we need to build a new one, then I want it built in Fort Madison and so I've got the commitment out of leadership and the governor, it will be built in Fort Madison," Fraise said.

The state will need to grant bonds to fund the proposed project which is estimated to cost nearly $240,000,000. Fraise said the earliest the state can break ground would be in 2011.

"The cost of remodeling the old one is quite a bit more than to build a new one so it doesn't make sense to pour a lot of money into an old facility when you can build a new one cheaper and then the new one would be more efficient," Fraise said.

If the Iowa state prison is rebuilt, the current special needs units and the medium security wings will still be in operation.