Daniel Davis wants to relocate the jail in his first term, if elected

[Jax_Developer]

I was just pulling information from google so apologize if the date of construction is off there. Regardless I think we agree that the justification for a study does exist.. I think Donna shouldn't let this one off so easily.

[marcuscnelson]

There's finally a rendering of the proposed convention center at the jail site, from the DIA:



However, as you can see, the jail itself is still visible behind the convention center, only the police building appears to have been replaced. Which either means that this rendering was lazy and they didn't appropriately account for the physical space of the convention center, or it's much smaller than previously suggested.

Which actually leads me to think: I think we've historically assumed that the police building and the jail would stay together or be replaced at the same time, but that's not actually obligated, is it? Could we just build a new police building (one spot that comes to mind is the block bounded by Broad, Adams, Clay, and Houston streets next to the County Courthouse), rehab the jail, and use it for another decade or two with provisions to eventually hold an expansion of the convention center?

[jcjohnpaint]

This rendering makes no sense.

[thelakelander]

It's just a lazy rendering. There's no solid plan, budget, timeline or committed funding source for a convention center at this time.

[BridgeTroll]

It's just a lazy rendering. There's no solid plan, budget, timeline or committed funding source for a convention center at this time.

Jax pumps crap like this out like from an assembly line... we love renderings and studie...

[marcuscnelson]

Convention Center issue aside, how about that police building idea? Assuming the building is nearing its end of life (which seems possible with it approaching 50 years old) it could make some sense to focus on moving them to a smaller-footprint, more vertical structure, defer the jail itself unless that's also at EOL, and then we can decide what to do with that space (especially once we're talking about getting rid of the Hart ramps).

[Jax_Developer]

Personally I'd rather see the police station stay there, due to the valid counterpoints related to DT employment. The jail itself doesn't employ more than 500 people. The entire force is 3,500 according to JSO. I'd much rather have those 3,000 ish jobs remain HQ'd DT then.. if they do move 500 lost jobs from a relocated jail. I think the jail is the only building that actually requires a relocation, police HQ should remain and probably adds to the image of having a secure DT. Just my 2 cents.

[marcuscnelson]

I was suggesting earlier constructing a new police building near the Courthouse (the block bounded by Broad, Adams, Clay, and Houston streets), not moving it to wherever the jail would go. It'd be able to take advantage of the existing Courthouse garage, still be downtown, but also be in more of what is now the "Government Center" area than the current jail. I suppose an "in-place" alternative if one were to remove the Hart ramps could be that corner of Adams and Liberty just north of the current building.

[thelakelander]

I'd like to see as many jobs as possible stay downtown and in the Northbank. That means that I'd be against JSO relocating from downtown. JSO kept many struggling downtown businesses open during the pandemic while private sector offices let their employees work remotely. I'm actually fine with them and their building remaining in the same place. However, I think the future of their facility and potential relocation should also be vetted as a part of a jail relocation study.

As for the Broad Street corridor, I don't believe that is the best place for them. It is basically an extension of Riverside Avenue. I believe Broad Street should once again be a continuous corridor of mixed use development with ground floor commercial stretching from Bay Street to State & Union. Similar to what High Street in Columbus, OH continues to be. With Riverside Avenue filling up, it is a natural market rate extension (there's a Whole Foods going up right across the bridge), we just can't let the DIA and DDRB screw it up with poor, incompatible infill.

With JSO, I doubt a new facility would be mixed use and active at the pedestrian level. So I'd rather them stay in their current building then shift that dead street life to Broad Street and LaVilla.

[Jax_Developer]

Ah I see Marcus, my misunderstanding there. I would agree with Lake tho.. right now their existing building is in a good spot and I'd rather see improvements to where they sit now then relocating them. I also have mentioned before that I think a jail RFP could require the developer to do improvements to the police station. I think a study is really needed here that analyzes them as separate items.