Cleveland County commissioners say the former county detention center will be demolished this fall.
The Norman Transcript reports that the former jail site will likely be used for parking while a facilities study is completed. The county's new $26 million jail opened in January 2012.
The building opened in 1984 but was closed two years ago after a new detention center was built. Since then, the building had been used as a temporary holding facility for inmates who were transported to the courthouse for hearings.
Rod Cleveland, District 1 commissioner, said the jail site will likely be used as additional parking while a facilities study is being completed. He said the additional district judge position could force the county to look at adding onto the county’s courthouse complex. Cleveland said more mediation rooms are needed, as well as a large room that can hold entire jury pools at one time. A possible solution is a room that can be partitioned off for many purposes. “We just have to make sure it will be soundproof,” Cleveland said. Cleveland said debris from the demolished jail will be recycled. “All the concrete and stuff, we can haul off and use in roadbeds,” Cleveland said. “The steel will likely be recycled by them.”
On Monday, county commissioners approved the purchase of a modular building that will be put in the county's parking lot to hold the inmates waiting to go to court.
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