County one step closer to demolishing jail

RED OAK — While an exact execution date remains unknown, the County Board of Supervisors took the first step to demolishing the 100-year-old jail at its meeting last week.

The commission voted to hire Prochaska and Associates to establish demolition specifications for the building, which will be vacated in May once the new $6 million law enforcement center is constructed.

“We found if demolishing the building is over a certain amount, we have to go through with an engineer’s study to do it,” Presiding Supervisor Amos said. “Right now, we are just laying the groundwork.”

Following the study, bids will be solicited for the building’s demolition.

Prochaska worked with the county in the design of the new center and will provide an estimate along with the specifications for the existing facilities demolition and Amos said that figure will most likely be included in the 2012 budget.

The Board will be meeting in mid-January to discuss that budget.

Supervisor Steve Ratcliff said that essentially means anyone interested in restoring the jail has less than a month to present an alternative to the wrecking ball to the board.

“I want us to give every opportunity to citizens out there who are interested in saving that building if they have the monetary support and ability to restore that building in a timely manner,” he said. “But if there is a chance for that building to be saved out there, somebody get organizedand come up with some kind of plan.”

Amos doesn’t expect the County to commission any kind of study to determine the building’s condition, or costs to restore it.

“We don’t feel it is worth restoring,” Amos said. “It wasn’t worth restoring as a jail, and the county really doesn’t have any other use for it.”

While he admits demolition of the building will be expense, Amos does believe it will be a cheaper alternative than a full-scale restoration. However, he added a private individual wanting to pursue that restoration would be the best case scenario.

“If somebody came up with a real solid plan and said we can make it work, I can see the board saying yes, go for it,” Amos said. “Financially for the county, that’s the best case scenario. We are going to have to cup with the cost of the demolition from the budget and that won’t be a small number.”

Supervisor Donna Robinson said if a viable plan were presented, she would consider it, but would probably still oppose restoring the building.

“I feel like, in my opinion, the best thing to happen would be for the jail to go away,” she said. “I think another person who is on that (jail) committee said it well when he said it lived its life, it is time for it to go to its grave.”

During a recent public hearing, several citizens spoke in favor of the County essentially shuttering the building, waiting indefinitely for a developer. They advocated that is more likely to happen as Red Oak continues to develop its downtown master improvement plan.

Amos said so far there has not been much support for the jail from individuals working on that plan.

“I’m not hearing a lot from the downtown folks, whether it’s lets save it or let’s make it an entryway to the downtown,” he said. “In fact, I don’t hear anything at all from them about the jail.”

Robinson isn’t sure the building is even part of the downtown plans.

“What Red Oak is trying to do for its downtown area is great, but I don't think this is part of the downtown area they are looking at,” she said.

Supervisor Karen Blue, who was Red Oak’s mayor when the former fire station was saved from a demolition by a last-minute proposal, said she’s love to see the same happen to the jail, as long as no tax dollars are spent.

“I would like to see any historic building preserved as long as it has a sustainable use,” she said. “Should a developer come to town, as a supervisor, I would be very willing to work with him and develop a plan. I would like to see it go back on the tax rolls, that is a real plus for us.”

Blue also opposes the county paying for a feasibility study to determine the cost of restoring the building.

“I don't feel that is the supervisor’s responsibility,” she said. “That should come from the private sector. They will determine if it should be saved or not.

“Our concern is providing for citizens today, and that doesn’t include preserving artifacts of the past.”