OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Officials say Oklahoma County is now accepting bids for the property location of the new jail approved by voters in June 2022.
The current Oklahoma County Detention Center has been in the news since its inception in 1991, with many expressing the need for a new facility following decades of deaths, escapes, and plumbing and flooding issues.
In 2022, Oklahoma County residents voted to approve $260 million in bonds to build a new detention center.
Now, county officials are starting the process of making that happen.
“I want the public to be aware that the process has started, and we are looking forward to having conversations with landowners,” said Commissioner Brian Maughan. “We want to hear from property owners interested in selling their land. We are aware certain sites may involve the necessity to purchase several parcels from multiple landowners, and we are willing to have those conversations.”
Interested property owners must have land in Oklahoma County totaling between 40 and 80 acres and cannot be less than 1,000 feet of any public or private elementary or secondary school.
Find the Request for Proposal and specific criteria for submission on the county’s website.