Of course, would-be developers will face a few challenges, given the building’s functionality for people who break laws and whatnot.
One idea being tossed for the old jail that might be ideal: a doggy day care, of which downtown is desperately in need.
We at Chicken-Fried News are thinking more along the lines of a mixed-use residential repurposing. After all, we’ve got The Hill, The Montgomery, The Regency and The Sieber in other redeveloped areas of downtown. The Slammer would be a welcome addition.
We’ve
locked down a plan that provides retail on the ground floor and four
floors of efficiencies, with the sixth floor serving as a sort of
penthouse for a warden who would be just a stone’s throw from the county
jail. All that, and it’s a gated community, to boot.
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2012.