Last Updated on October 3, 2023, 11:10 AM | Published: October 2, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — The new Oklahoma County Detention Center or Jail site will be near Will Rogers World Airport if commissioners can work a lease deal with the Airport Trust, the City of Oklahoma City, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Commissioner Brian Maughan told Free Press that the Airport Trust offered to sell the land for the purpose of a jail in the first place, so he doesn’t think there will be a problem. “We just have to do it the county way, which is different than any other way,” said Maughan.
Monday, all three commissioners voted in favor of purchasing the site from the City of Oklahoma City Airport Trust.
The site is 192 acres of this general area north of the Air National Guard facility on the NW corner of Airport property between Newcastle Road, SW 54th, MacArthur, and Meridian:
Monday, commissioners chose between the remaining four sites still in consideration that had been offered for sale to Oklahoma County for the purpose of building a new jail.
Sixty percent of Oklahoma County voters approved a $260 million dollar bond for the purpose of building a new jail in June of 2022.
The current site of the existing jail at 201 N. Shartel was considered but is thought to be too small to build a new facility that would not depend on an elevator to function. One of the major weaknesses of the current jail is that with 13 floors, the ability of the staff to effectively run the jail is dependent upon the smooth functioning of the elevators. Employees have complained for decades that the elevators are not reliable, however.
A number of sites were offered to the county when the call went out but six were eliminated by the committee tasked with doing evaluations. The call for submissions was closed and then reopened at one point.
As the process moved along, a controversial “free” site was offered near a school in northeastern Oklahoma City which drew the already-existent ire of NE OKC residents who had fought back against several ideas for the new site in eastern OKC.
But, that idea was eventually abandoned after having been spoken of favorably by at least one commissioner earlier in the discussion.
Having gone on the record repeatedly against many of the proposed sites, Commissioner Carrie Blumert said the site checked nearly all the boxes the county was looking for in a location, especially in its potential to “limit the impact on our neighborhoods and schools.”
Blumert added that the federal government operates at least two correctional facilities in close proximity to the proposed location and the area is industrial and not residential.
Airport Trust leader responds
The next day, the Airport Trust issued this statement about the possibility of using one of the sites that they offered for a long-term lease:
“The Airport provided the County with two parcels for lease for the proposed project … with several contingencies that would need to be addressed, such as the requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) review and compliance, a review of the zoning compatibility, and the requirement for a Fair Market Value lease rate,” said Jeff Mulder, Department of Airports Director. “These issues are under review and have not been resolved at this time.”
Travel still an issue
While the travel infrastructure to the Oklahoma County Courthouse is better than most of the other sites, it is still an 8-mile, 15-minute drive to the Oklahoma County Courthouse downtown. However, there are numerous alternative routes to downtown from the site that do not involve a freeway.
The “free” site just off N. Broadway had been objected to, especially by Public Defender Bob Ravitz, who raised issues of how the heavy traffic in that north part of Oklahoma City could just lock up completely during rush hour. He argued that it would cause big problems for his attorneys to get out to the jail to consult with clients and for Oklahoma County Deputies who are bringing detainees for court appearances at the courthouse downtown to get them there on time.
Another issue raised by some in the community was how public transportation was readily available at the current downtown location of the jail but would not be at many of the sites offered to the county.
Currently, only one bus route exists going SW toward the airport. Yet, at its closest, the route runs a mile short of the site chosen Monday.
Discussions are taking place regarding the feasibility of transit service directly to the airport which could easily serve the new jail at the site chosen Monday. But, a timeline for implementing that is still uncertain.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
