The jail land-swap is a go.
Wayne County will build a $553-million justice center to replace the long-stalled Gratiot jail project.
County Executive Warren Evans announced an agreement with Rock Ventures to build the center, between the I-75 Service Drive and East Warren Avenue on property that is being acquired from the city.
The 3-way swap provides the land owned by Detroit for the justice complex, the current jail construction site which goes to Rock Ventures, and Rock Ventures agrees to build the complex, which will house a 2,280-bed jail, offices for the sheriff’s department, prosecutor’s staff, and administration, and a criminal courthouse and juvenile detention facility.
The county will use remaining bond proceeds from the Gratiot jail project, bonds for the new site, and general fund revenue to cover its end of the construction costs. Rock Ventures has said it wants to build a mixed use facility on the current jail site.