JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Discussion about moving the Duval County Jail out of downtown Jacksonville has drawn plenty of speculation, including talk about a billion-dollar cost and which neighborhoods could be in the running.
“We are very early on in the process,” Councilman Will Lahnen told News4JAX. “There’s no price tag. There’s no location.”
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Lahnen is the council liaison for the jail project. He said the city is entering a contract with consulting firm CGL to conduct the first phase of planning.
The city’s Chief Administrative Officer Mike Weinstein told council the agreement is expected to cost a nearly $750,000, after an RFP process that drew seven proposals.
Officials said evaluators from the sheriff’s office, the administration and city council scored the submissions, interviewed the top three firms and selected CGL.
“We’re able to use money that we’re running under budget,” Lahnen said. “It’s not coming out of JSO’s budget. It’s not coming out of other operating departments.”
The initial phase is expected to provide:
- A needs assessment for a future jail/corrections campus
- A 30-year inmate population projection, broken out in 5-year increments
- Population projections broken down by housing and program needs, including mental health housing
- A rough, early cost estimate based on the space and bed needs
- A recommendation of three potential sites to bring back to City Council for review
Weinstein emphasized that the current contract is not a commitment to build anything.
“No official design. No financing. No construction,” Weinstein told the council. “This is basically only to find three potential sites.”
Goff said the process will include public listening sessions and meetings with stakeholders, including the courts, the State Attorney’s Office, mental health providers, educational providers and other service providers involved with jail operations.
City leaders said CGL’s work is expected to begin in April, with public updates continuing during council meetings as the study progresses.
“The words you’re going to hear are transparent and methodical,” Lahnen said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing it right from the beginning... It’s a very very important generational type investment for the city that we just want to make sure again methodical and transparent and that we get it right.”