Oklahoma County Commissioners approve new jail site; heads to City Council for rezoning approval

OKLAHOMA COUNTY (KFOR) — After a long day at the Oklahoma County Commissioner's meeting, a decision to build the new Oklahoma County Jail at East Grand and Southeast 15th Street in southeast Oklahoma City was approved on Wednesday afternoon.  

This is a location the Mid-Del community has been opposing for months and showed up to meetings each week to fight for the location to be removed from consideration for good. But on Wednesday, the vote didn't go their way.  

At Wednesday’s meeting, some went home happy, and others did not. 

In a two to one vote at a packed meeting, Oklahoma County Commissioners whittled the list of possible jail sites from nine down to one. 

The new location will be at East Grand and SE 15th Street in southeast Oklahoma City.  

Those who were disappointed voiced their displeasure.  

“I won't be alone. The war is not over. We're not going to take it,” said Marilyn Luper-Hildreth, civil rights activist. 

The motivation behind the vote on Wednesday was the deadline to use federal COVID-19 dollars coming up later this year.  

“We in addition to our bond funds, we have some ARPA money set aside for the behavioral health unit that will be close by next to the new jail. So those have pretty tight timeframes on them. So, we do need to get moving,” said Carrie Blumert, Oklahoma County Commissioner District 1. 

Oklahoma County Commissioners Myles Davidson and Brian Maughan say the decision to vote for this location did not come lightly. 

“For me, it has always been about we had to have a functional site. It just couldn't be dictated by all of these emotional things, which I understand why they feel that way, but if the site doesn't work, that would be the ultimate failure,” said Brian Maughan, Oklahoma County Commissioner District 2. 

"Today is extremely tough. It affects a lot of people. It's the hardest thing that I probably will ever do. It's not something that we took lightly. We've obviously studied this for almost a year now… It's not an emotional decision for me. It is one based on fact, and that's what I've had to look at this entire time," said Davidson.

County Commissioner Davidson says the site works. They’ve looked at everything from infrastructure to the time it takes to get to the Oklahoma County courthouse, the property was well explored.  

“On our scorecard, it has the highest score. It has had the highest score from the very beginning,” said Myles Davidson, Oklahoma County Commissioner District 3. 

Davidson adds they are listening to the community concerns, like adding transportation and bringing in more law enforcement officers to the area.  

“I understand what they're worried about. I fully do. And that's why we're working so hard to answer all the questions… We're solving those issues,” said Davidson. 

County Commissioner Carrie Blumert, the only “no” vote, has this message to those who spoke out against the chosen site which is in her district.  

“They showed up here over and over and over and really fought for themselves. And I'm proud of them. And I'm really disappointed that they (the other two Oklahoma County Commissioners) didn't listen to them, but I'm really proud of them for coming as much as they did and really standing up for themselves,” said Blumert. 

Now the Oklahoma City Council has to approve the rezoning at the property in order for this location to move forward. If it does not, Oklahoma County Commissioners will be back to square one. 

Full statements from the Oklahoma County Commissioners can be read below.

I am disappointed in the Board’s decision today to choose 1901 E Grand as the site for the new Oklahoma County Jail.

I am proud to stand with Del City, Mid-Del Schools, and Crooked Oak Schools by voting no.

I want to thank the residents and leaders of the community for continuing to speak up for themselves at our county meetings for the past several months on this issue.

I have been clear from the beginning that we need a new jail that is humane, both for the detainees and those who work in the facility. The new facility must also include social services and diversion programs for detainees to have access to services while awaiting trial. No matter where the jail goes, I will fight for those standards.

Now that the decision has been made, I will do my best to work with Crooked Oak Schools and the City of Del City to address their concerns as the jail is designed, constructed, and finally becomes operational.

The next step in the process is that 1901 E Grand must now be rezoned by the City of Oklahoma City Council.

District 1, Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert

We are actively seeking to secure the East Grand location for our new jail site. This move marks a significant step forward in our commitment to enhancing public safety through the development of a modern and more secure facility. There is a desperate need for a modern and better-secured facility. Compared to other counties across the country, we are well behind the standard. Our focus is now on exploring alternative solutions that will address these critical concerns.

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to everyone involved in this process. Your participation has been crucial, and I am optimistic that this initiative will greatly contribute to the safety and security of our county and citizens in the forthcoming years.

The pursuit of the 1901 East Grand Blvd location is driven by our commitment to establish a state-of-the-art facility that will not only meet our needs but do so with careful consideration of the taxpayer's investment.

District 3, Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson