A push to move the Duval County jail is gaining steam and now there is a conversation brewing about also moving the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office administrative headquarters.
RELATED: City Council committee discusses relocation of Duval County jail
At a meeting Thursday morning at City Hall, city leaders will try to figure out if it’s practical and makes sense financially to move the headquarters elsewhere, perhaps to the Florida Blue building.
That could open more space at the current building on Bay Street for jail staff until a new jail facility is built in another part of town.
City Councilman Mike Boylan discussed the possibility with News4JAX reporter Jim Piggott.
“I think there’s a good chance that might happen. I don’t know if there’s any interest on the part of the sheriff, but there’s a process it has to go through. We want to make sure that we live up to that process,” Boylan told Piggott.
The decision would require buy-in from the sheriff’s office and discussion about the budget before the City Council could move forward, Boylan said.
Right now, the ballpark price to build a new jail is around $380 million.
The current jail was a matter of discussion for city council members Wednesday after concerns were raised about the funding for UF Health, where inmates inside the Duval County jail go for medical help.
UF Health’s CEO said roughly 5% of the hospital’s ER visits come from inmates.
If the jail moves, inmate health care will need to be part of the conversation.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.