NEW CONCORDIA — Workers near the city’s industrial complex spent years ignoring an unusually secure correctional building because ignoring suspicious buildings is practically part of the commute.

That attitude changed after authorities descended on the Wren Correctional Research Annex, a multistory facility tucked behind the industrial zone and equipped with secured vehicle access, reinforced doors and internal observation areas.

Workers interviewed nearby described unexplained van traffic and heavy security around the property.

“We figured it was prison stuff,” said a forklift operator at a neighboring warehouse. “Nobody asks what ‘prison stuff’ means because you might get an answer.”

Investigators reportedly found extensive structural damage inside, including a destroyed metal doorway, damaged concrete barriers and a malfunctioning mechanical wall system. Biological containment areas were also discovered.

Officials have asked employees in neighboring businesses to report unusual noises, odors or vehicle activity they may have noticed around the annex.

Several workers had the same response: You’re asking now?

Authorities have yet to explain how a facility this elaborate operated beside hundreds of daily workers without attracting meaningful outside scrutiny.