For the first time, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is discussing a plan to relocate the Duval County Jail.
It's part of his re-election plan, and it’s still not clear where it will go and when it will move.
Mike Redmon lives at the Berkman Plaza, just steps from the jail.
“It’s blight,” Redmon said. “It’s a nuisance across the street.”
Moving the jail is the latest project in the saga of downtown development behind the multibillion dollar vision for Lot J and the shipyards, and Mayor Curry’s plan to remove the Hart Bridge ramps.
“I think it could be a good idea, but I also think Jacksonville has a lot of other things we need to spend money on,” Alicia Harris said.
Mayor Curry spoke with Action News Jax Anchor John Bachman Wednesday, telling him moving the jail is part of a broader long-term downtown development plan, but no specifics were given on when or where it will go.
“I can see the potential of it possibly moving, however, my question is where?” Cezar Montemayor said. “It could create a similar problem on another side of town.”
That question hasn’t been answered, but we know from Mayor Curry’s most recent capital improvement proposal estimates that a $246 million, 3,000-bed pretrial detention center could be in the works on Lannie Road in North Jax.
Also listed, a new Police Memorial Building for $97 Million, and a 500-bed downtown detention facility for $41 Million.
Completion dates for those projects were beyond the five-year capital improvement scope that started fiscal year 2016-2017.