After much scrutiny, Fulton County scraps new $1.7B jail plans for a $300M renovation

Fulton County Commissioners  are rethinking the approach to address the deteriorating conditions of the county jails as it recently voted 4-3 to issue a new request for proposals to plan renovations for the Rice Street and South Annex facilities and to estimate costs for a new special-purpose facility. This decision marks a departure from last year’s plan for a brand-new $1.7 billion jail on the current Rice Street site, which was canceled in May.

The county aims to fund this project without increasing property tax rates. In the 2024 budget, $10 million was originally allocated to prepare for a new jail, which could be repurposed for a bond issue generating $85 million to $150 million. Additionally, repurposing $9.7 million from expiring tax allocation districts could allow for another bond issue of similar size, totaling $170 million to $300 million for jail work. 

The proposed renovation and special-purpose facility, possibly a medical unit or a unit for inmates with serious mental health issues, will have a budget cap of $300 million, according to the projected bond issue for the project. Renovations will also extend to the Marietta Street jail annex. Steve Nawrocki, the county assistant chief strategy officer, mentioned the need for an inmate relocation plan during renovations, although costs and duration for relocations have not been estimated. Nawrocki cautioned that the county’s plans might exceed the available funding, and the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into county jail conditions could impact costs.

Formal proposals are expected by the end of the year, with project design approval anticipated by mid-2025. Commissioner Dana Barrett noted that this delays the timeline for a new jail by a year, with construction possibly starting in the fall of 2025 or later. Joe Davis, director of the Department of Real Estate & Asset Management, indicated that some renovation work might begin sooner using existing county contracts, while a new special-purpose facility would be the last to be developed.