Lease-to-own jail? Local plan remains uncertain but happened elsewhere
A plan to build a new jail and relocate every criminal and civil justice institution in Shelby County to the former Firestone plant site in North Memphis was presented to the Shelby County Commission on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The first phase of the plan would cost an estimated $1.3 billion. (Submitted)
In 2018, the Kansas Department of Corrections signed a 20-year lease-to-own deal with CoreCivic, a private prison provider, to replace the circa 1860 Kansas State Penitentiary.
That deal, which happened roughly 500 miles from Memphis, has recently taken on new significance for Shelby County.
In early August, a group of real estate professionals officially pitched the county on building a new, 71-acre criminal justice complex on the former Firestone site in North Memphis.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
new jail SMPO new jail plan Ike Seelbinder Albert Dotson Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Dima Amro
Dima Amro is a native Memphian who covers commercial real estate and economic development for The Daily Memphian. She received her B.A. in journalism at the University of Memphis and M.A. in investigative journalism at American University.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.