Wayne County plans to buy casino land to build new jail

[Gistok]

I have an aside question... I wonder how many workers would be downtown minus all forms of government and the folks who indirectly work in some way with or for them [[lawyers,..etc)?

[eastland]

The county jail wasn't moved to Mound Road. There are two jails downtown and one in Hamtramck.

[jackie5275]

Wasn't the county jail located downtown next or near Frank Murphy? A friend of mine had told me that prisoners were transported from the jail to the courthouse via underground tunner. What idiot decided to move the county jail to Mound Rd?

To clarify what Eastland said, there are 3 county jail facilities in Wayne County operated by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Two are downtown right by Frank Murphy. Yes, the inmates from those jails get escorted to court through the underground tunnels. However, the Hamtramck jail has inmates that have to go to court there also. The Sheriff's deputies have to transport them to & from the courthouse on a daily basis.

The facility at Mound Rd is a state prison run by the Michigan Dept of Corrections.

[Rocko]

From The Detroit News

April 26. 2011 1:17PM
House budget proposal would close Mound Correctional Facility, lay off 342

Karen Bouffard / / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

Lansing— The Mound Correctional Facility in Detroit would be shuttered, 342 state employees would be laid off and prison food service and stores privatized under a Corrections budget under consideration by the House Appropriations Committee today.

The Corrections plan was part of one bill that also includes budgets for the state judiciary, Michigan State Police and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, a nod to Gov. Rick Snyder's wish for the Legislature to pass a small number of budgets with fewer line items.

The committee has recessed for lunch and is expected to return at 12:45 p.m. to possibly vote on the budget bill.

The House is the last to consider a spending plan that would close a $1.4 billion deficit in the state's 2011-12 fiscal year budget that begins Oct. 1. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on its department budgets last week, cutting a total of $1.5 billion. Gov. Rick Snyder proposed his budget plan in February that closes the deficit and calls for $1.8 billion in tax cuts for businesses.

Once the House passes its plan, it would need to be reconciled with the Senate plan before both chambers vote on the final version and send it to Snyder for his support or veto.

Today's House plan would cut general fund spending on prisons by roughly $43 million. The total budget would include about $70 million less in spending, reflecting the loss of federal grants and other one-time money. The plan also assumes savings from closure of Crane Correctional Facility in Coldwater, slated
for June.

Rep. Fred Durhal, D-Detroit, objected strongly to the closure of Mound prison, noting that last year's budget included money to consolidate services there for all prisoners who had served their minimum sentences and were being prepared for release. The funding included the transfer to Mound of all such prisoners from across the state.

"Why would you close Mound Road prison [[now)?" Durhal asked.

The Mound facility would be closed in January 2012 and result in partial-year savings of $19.5 million, and $26.1 million in savings in fiscal year 2013.Initial savings would be offset by the cost of moving Mound inmates to other prisons, resulting in net savings of $5.5 million in 2013.

The Michigan State Police budget would include a $3.1 million increase in general fund spending, but total spending would be reduced by $12.4 million reflecting the loss of one-time federal funding. The budget includes a $3.2 million savings from the closure of 33 Michigan State Police posts, including the one in Detroit.

Michigan State Police Deputy Director Shawn Sible said the closures represent the department's shift to a mobile policing approach, and will put more officers on the streets in their vehicles. He said the Michigan State Police are committed to law enforcement in the city of Detroit.

"We are not considering at all reducing the level of service in the City of Detroit," Sible said. "We don't anticipate the citizens of Detroit seeing a loss of service from this change."

Concerns were raised about the State Police's presence in Detroit when The News reported previously that the agency was scaling back its proposed crime lab in the city and closing its post downtown.

Rep. Steve Lindberg, D-Marquette, asked how the State Police can save money with mobile policing when the price of gas is skyrocketing. Sible said the department buys its gas at a special price, but if it does go up the department would have to return to the Legislature to ask for an additional appropriation.

"Under the new concept of mobile policing, restrictions on mileage are counter-productive," Sible said, adding the department has trimmed its budget to the bone, including by reducing its overtime budget by 55 percent.

"We will be reaching a point where if there were to be any civil disturbance or natural disaster we would have to come back to you and ask for additional appropriation."

The committee approved a Department of Military and Veterans Affairs budget that cuts $3.3 million in general fund spending. The budget includes savings from privatizing resident care aids at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home.

Two trial court judgeships and two Court of Appeals judgeships would be eliminated under a judiciary budget approved by the committee that would save $461,200 in general fund spending.

Return to detnews.com this afternoon for updates.

kbouffard@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110426/...#ixzz1KeSgmTwR

[Hypestyles]

when would construction begin?

[Yooper]

Gee.
I wonder if certain individuals are going to make big bucks on this deal?

Build the new jail on cheap abandoned land with prisoners as the main labor force.
Teach them skills in contsruction and give them something contstructive to do. For free.

[gthomas]

Gee.
I wonder if certain individuals are going to make big bucks on this deal?

Build the new jail on cheap abandoned land with prisoners as the main labor force.
Teach them skills in contsruction and give them something contstructive to do. For free.

I agree..should they include other things on that site such as that...offering skill trade.

[manualshift]

You've got a good point there.

These days there will likely be cable TV, unlimited legal services and catered meals for the scumbags that get locked up.[[for a short time) A guillotine would cost much less to operate than those energy intensive alternatives.

I do hope wherever they place this hotel for hostiles it is either close to rail service or bus lines.

You have never been to a county jail in the Detroit metro.

[MSUguy]

Wayne County board approves new jail in Detroit

Wayne County officials gave final approval for a new jail this morning, agreeing to spend $220 million on a new facility near the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit.


The County Commission voted 14-0 to approve the deal at a meeting this morning in the Guardian Building in Detroit. Commissioner Bernard Parker was absent.
At the recommendation of County Executive Robert Ficano, the commission awarded the contract to Walbridge/DCK Joint Venture

http://www.freep.com/article/2011090...xt|FRONTPAGE|s

[Pcm]

They've been pushing around dirt here for a while, I wondered what was happening.

[Joseph C. Krause]

So we get a bigger prison, a new superblock, AND new vacant lots all in the CBD? Oh, and I don't recall there being ay plan for 1300 Beaubien, either, so let's assume that gets the wrecking ball, too. [vomits]

[animatedmartian]

Things that are recession proof: Jails, strip clubs, and casinos. Two of them are doing business with each other and the other one is where the money makers go and spend their money.

[cramerro]

I'm more curious about the site they're trading with Greektown along St Antoine. I know Greektown has an interest to make the site nice since its across from the hotel entrance, but I REALLY hope they put some ground level storefronts in thier valet parking parking deck!! And, they already have entire levels of their parking tower for valet... seems strange use of thier limited money IMHO.

[stasu1213]

I'm more curious about the site they're trading with Greektown along St Antoine. I know Greektown has an interest to make the site nice since its across from the hotel entrance, but I REALLY hope they put some ground level storefronts in thier valet parking parking deck!! And, they already have entire levels of their parking tower for valet... seems strange use of thier limited money IMHO.

I Still think that the site should had been the spot for the new Police Headquaters with the new Wayne County Jail in the same complex or next door. Why pay MGM millions for a building that wasn't being used when it probably would had been cost effective for the city and county to build a new facility on the corner of Gratiot and St Antoine. This is an example of ineffective leadership who makes poor decisions. I will be glad when 2013 come around so I could help vote Bing, Pugh, and the rest of those incompetent so called politicians out of office especially Pugh and the clan

[royce]

stasu1213, I agree that the new police HQ should have gone in this location along with the jail. The HQ on the far west end of downtown is a bad move IMHO. A part of the feeling of safety in Greektown and the surrounding area is knowing that the police HQ is right near by. With an abandoned former HQ and a surface parking lot where the wayne county jail used to be, it's not going to feel as safe in that area. Now, if they replaced these buildings with some new residential condos or apartments, that would sustain that feeling of safety.

[royce]

BTW, isn't it interesting that they chose the builder of the jail on Thursday, the first of September, yet as someone mentioned earlier, they have been turning over soil for weeks now? Was that just the "turning over the soil" contractor and now the "real" contractor takes over? Wayne County has known for weeks who the contractor for this project would be. I guess the press release was just a formality as well as the 14-0 commissioners' vote. I mean heaven for bid if the commisioners voted against the project. That's right, in the earlier votes Ficano had to see who was against the project so that he could pay, I mean, sway them to vote his way during the final vote. Interesting.

[stasu1213]

stasu1213, I agree that the new police HQ should have gone in this location along with the jail. The HQ on the far west end of downtown is a bad move IMHO. A part of the feeling of safety in Greektown and the surrounding area is knowing that the police HQ is right near by. With an abandoned former HQ and a surface parking lot where the wayne county jail used to be, it's not going to feel as safe in that area. Now, if they replaced these buildings with some new residential condos or apartments, that would sustain that feeling of safety.

Condos would be a nice idea for the spot where Joe Muer was. Many people don't want to live near a jail. I am surprise that a new Headquarters wasn't constructed during the 70s or 80s. I had lost confidence in this city council when they had voted NO on using the former casino building for the HQ. Most of them had changed their vote a couple of months later in favor of using the site for the HQ. I wonder are the Mayor and some Council members were motivated by money instead of what is best for the city

[casscorridor]

green jobs not jails

parks not prisons

[Tig3rzhark]

As long as they include an electric chair or gas chamber for some of the scum I'm all for it.

The death penalty was abolished a long time ago. There have been no legislation made to bring it back here.

There are plenty of vacant spaces in Detroit to put a jail, and there's already one downtown. I say put it where most of the crime is, Detroit's eastside.

[stasu1213]

Bad decision making on part of the County Exec, Mayor, and part of the City Council.

[Joseph C. Krause]

Aside from the repugnant nature of a jail, every time we build a new superblock we kill our city a little more. We tend to build them near the freeways. I-375, my personal top candidate for freeway removal, is being lined with superblocks so that if it ceased to exist there would still be a massive connectivity barrier.

Detroit is still repeatedly and thoughtlessly making the same infrastructure mistakes as it did with the first freeway in 1942.

[stasu1213]

Aside from the repugnant nature of a jail, every time we build a new superblock we kill our city a little more. We tend to build them near the freeways. I-375, my personal top candidate for freeway removal, is being lined with superblocks so that if it ceased to exist there would still be a massive connectivity barrier.

Detroit is still repeatedly and thoughtlessly making the same infrastructure mistakes as it did with the first freeway in 1942.

Mistakes will still be made when the leaders of the city are still being controlled by those from generation to generation who don't have a clue on what make a downtown or a functional city.

[Gistok]

Aside from the repugnant nature of a jail, every time we build a new superblock we kill our city a little more. We tend to build them near the freeways. I-375, my personal top candidate for freeway removal, is being lined with superblocks so that if it ceased to exist there would still be a massive connectivity barrier.

Detroit is still repeatedly and thoughtlessly making the same infrastructure mistakes as it did with the first freeway in 1942.

OK I'll bite... Generally I agree with the problems superblocks cause.... the worst in my opinion was the Blue Cross Campus... and by default [[clearing of buildings) the DTE campus. But what should they do with the new jail block? Keep cross streets and have the different parts of the jail catwalking over the streets? Since there is no street or commercial pedestrian traffic likely to cross between these blocks... why do we need to keep the streets?

Detroit is full of superblocks.... every current/former auto plant sits on one.... so does the MCS, MGM Grand, Cobo, RenCen, Comerica Park, Ford Field, Wayne State, UofD Mercy, the Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford and St. John Hospital's.... etc.

They are a necessary part of Detroit... although I agree that some are less necessary than others.

[stasu1213]

I feel that most Superblocks are near freeway so that those who go to the games could jump on the freeway without having to drive through the city. A quick in quick out solution.

[Joseph C. Krause]

Gistok,

There are several aspects to this that demonstrate that we're collectively thinking backwards. All of us are already resigned our thoughts to the probability, without having seen a single rendering, that this building will be anti-urban and awful. Of course, just because it's a jail does not mean that it must be awful in every way, but we all expect it to be.

We also put a low value on urban fabric by accepting street closures at every turn. Yes, the city is full of superblocks, but I do not feel that they are "necessary". I am generally for the preservation of streets and alleys even if they seem marginal as these may, because it's much easier to build on a street than to put in a new street where one once was.

I can imagine a day when we close The Lodge and I-75 in Corktown. This seems like a radical idea even with recent positive changes in Detroit, but it's something that other cities have actually done. But if, in addition to the cloverleaf, we close 12 blocks to put up the MGM Grad, it becomes even more expensive and difficult to restore should we ever get serious about doing so.

I basically feel that we're still firmly in an abnormal period of time in which it's OK to do all of these things, but several generations from now when we want a real city, our descendants will be confounded by the extent to which we have eliminated the working materials of urban fabric.