CLEVELAND — The first steps towards locating the new Cuyahoga County Jail in Garfield Heights were made on Tuesday.
At the Cuyahoga County Council meeting, County Executive Chris Ronayne introduced legislation authorizing the purchase of 72 acres of land adjacent to Granger Road in Garfield Heights for $38 million. That money will come from the county's general fund as well as American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
The land, which is currently owned by Craig Realty Group, would be used for the construction of the Cuyahoga County Central Campus, including the new jail.
The legislation was referred to the Cuyahoga County Council's Committee of the Whole for consideration. Ronayne says the overall estimate for the cost of building the central campus would be $750 million, which will come from an extra quarter percent sales tax for residents.
"I'm proposing a site that I think is befitting of a modern system that we need," Ronayne told 3News' Neil Fischer following Tuesday's meeting. "It spreads it out on a campus, it's humane for those in our custody and for our workers."
During the public comment portion of the meeting, many residents gave their opinion about the proposed location of the county jail in Garfield Heights.
The strongest voice against the plan came from Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot by Cleveland police officers in 2014.
"If we have to have a new jail, it definitely shouldn't be on the east side of Cleveland," Rice told the council. "The east side of Cleveland is very oppressed already. Maybe you should think about putting on the west side somewhere."
Dave Wondolowski, executive director of Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council (CBCTC), advocated for the jail to be placed in Garfield Heights. The CBCTC represents over 12,000 construction workers in Northeast Ohio.
"It's time to put the decision of where to put the jail to bed," he stated. "The Garfield Heights site is a smart solution and deserves this community's support. It's the right time to end the inhumane conditions the inmates are living in."
Ronayne was pleased to get the community's feedback. "Tonight was actually a great opportunity to hear from the public."
You can watch Tuesday's meeting below.
On Wednesday, Fischer spoke with Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke about the plan to put the jail in his city. Burke is shocked the proposal has gotten this far, as the 72 acres have sat vacant for a decade and been rumored for different developments in the past.
But he has concerns.
"If this thing comes to Garfield Heights, how do we address the safety of our residents? He (Ronayne) has mentioned that it's going to be a county campus or county facility, so I'm kind of interested to see what he means by that," Burke said.
Ronayne says the county's plan is to have the courthouse remain in downtown Cleveland while the jail and the rest of the central campus would be located in Garfield Heights.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's office gave the following statement to 3News:
"The Mayor supports the most humane solutions for inmates in the jail, as well as their families who visit them.
"We're not taking a position until we get more details from the County regarding the potential economic impact that moving the jail would have. We need to be sure of any potential revenue implications and that any decision going forward is one that benefits Cleveland residents the most.
"We are committed to being a good regional partner with the County and will continue to work with them in good faith."
In an interview with 3News earlier this month, Ronayne explained why he is pushing for the jail to be located in Garfield Heights instead of downtown Cleveland.
"The reason why is its centrality to all 59 of our communities in Cuyahoga County, its connection to transit and other transportation ways to get there, it's a larger, open space to create a more humane campus, and it's a greenfield, not a brownfield," Ronayne stated. "For us, that's material because we don't have to absorb the cost of clean-up and we make sure those that are in our detention are safe."
Ronayne says he is looking at the Garfield Heights site as not only the place where the county can locate its correctional facility, but also serve as a "central services campus" that could include the headquarters of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, a diversion center, and more.
"It's a great site, 70-plus acres, off the highway. It's connected, really, to the center of our region," he explained.
Ronayne says that the county is looking at "shared-service opportunities" with Garfield Heights, adding that they've gotten a positive response to the plan from Mayor Matt Burke. "It does obviously generate jobs," Ronayne stated.
Two months ago, Ronayne announced that the county had chosen the path of a new jail site as opposed to renovating the existing facility at the Justice Center campus. He added that his administration began a search process to find a new site for "a modern jail campus that conforms to today’s best practices." At the time, that process had narrowed from dozens of potential sites to a short list of locations being vetted in partnership with Cuyahoga County Council.
