A new jail is in the cards in Dallas County as officials move to build a $5 billion replacement for the county’s current 50-year-old facility.
A judge recently announced that the county will advance the project later this year, making progress on a project anticipated to take a decade or more to complete. The existing jail is significantly outdated, according to county officials, lacking the space needed to accommodate a growing population and contemporary needs.
The $5 billion price tag makes the jail one of the more ambitious projects undertaken in Dallas in decades. While the cost is high, officials have noted that not only is the change necessary, but it will also play an instrumental role in facilitating economic development in both new and old locations.
The next biggest step in the process is finding a new, suitable location for the jail. Dallas is currently scouting for the jail’s optimal site, analyzing parcels that meet the project’s geographical, accessibility and cost-efficiency criteria. What is known is that the jail will have to remain within four miles of the county courthouse, narrowing the scope of potential sites while keeping several options open.
The county anticipates that it will buy the property later this year. Acquisition will kickstart the next major stage of the jail project, enabling the county to kick start facility design and planning initiatives. Once the jail is officially moved, the county expects the old site to benefit from extensive redevelopment projects.
Photo by Alejandro De Roa from Pexels
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