Wayne County will likely buy a piece of land in downtown Detroit to build a new county jail.
A tentative deal would have the county paying $10 million to the Greektown Casino Hotel for a parcel of vacant land the casino owns. The county would also give the casino some of its land, reports said.
It is the first time the county has announced a location for its new consolidated jail facility. It sold $200 million of recovery zone economic development bonds last December to finance the project. A final tax-exempt borrowing is expected sometime this year. The Wayne County Commission approved $300 million of bonds for the project.
The county currently operates three jails and hopes to save money by consolidating services and costs at one facility.
The county is also considering taking over Detroit’s jails. Mayor Dave Bing told the City Council during his budget address last week that the city is considering transferring all its jails to the county in an effort to save money.
