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Decision on new jail site a while out, commissioners say

By Lucas González

Posted November 3, 2023

(From left) Monroe County commissioners Lee Jones and Penny Githens Thursday at the Monroe County Courthouse. (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services (CATS))

Monroe County officials say it could be a while before they decide where to build a new county jail.

County commissioners and some members of the county council met Thursday to provide an update on the project and respond to public feedback.

During that meeting, Commissioner Penny Githens emphasized the county has not decided where to build the jail.

“I want to state emphatically: no decision has been made yet on the location — just to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Githens said.

Penny Githens. *(Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)*

The county is considering building the jail at the former Thomson property on Bloomington’s southwest side. The county-owned property is across Rogers Street from Switchyard Park and near the RCA Community Playground.

It’s also close to Summit Hill Elementary School and Osage Place, an income-restricted Habitat for Humanity neighborhood.

The former Thomson site is shown in green in the upper left-hand corner. *(Courtesy of Google Maps)*

Some residents have said they object to the site being used for a jail. They have cited concerns about safety, ingress and egress, impacts on home values and socio-economic implications.

Thursday’s meeting was held in part as a response to those concerns.

County council member Geoff McKim said he is concerned by the site’s proximity to Osage Place.

“I think that’s probably the biggest concern, to make sure that the residents there don’t lose the value — either in terms of money, or just in terms of quality of life,” McKim said. “I don’t think that eliminates, for me, the Thomson property as a good site for the jail, but it definitely does mean that the design has to take the needs of those residents firmly into consideration.”

Geoff McKim. *(Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)*

McKim discussed the possibility of adding a “buffer” between Osage Place and a future jail, should the county move forward with the ex-Thomson site.

The site is about 80 acres; much more than the minimum 25 needed for the type of jail the county wants, according to DLZ, the firm selected by the commissioners to design a new jail.

Not every acre of the site is buildable, however. That’s why a geotechnical study was conducted, and an environmental study is in progress, according to Commissioner Lee Jones.

Additionally, Jones said DLZ will likely finalize a report assessing the site’s viability and estimated cost before the end of the year.

“The results of these assessments may exclude Thompson as a site — but more than viability and cost will go into the final decision on the jail location,” Jones said.

Lee Jones. *(Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)*

A required feasibility study for a new jail also will be conducted. That study does not need to be completed before the county chooses a site, according to the commissioners.

County officials generally agree the new jail should be co-located with other components of the justice system, including courtrooms, community corrections and the public defender’s and prosecutor’s offices.

The county council will determine how much to spend on the jail project, which will determine whether colocation will happen during or after jail construction, according to Githens.

“No matter where we end up building, the issue of colocation and the timing of colocation are still going to be issues that need to be resolved,” Githens said. “It is less expensive in the long run to collocate everything at the same time … However, it would require a much larger initial outlay of funding.”

The county says a new jail likely won’t be built or occupied until 2027 at the earliest.