FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council narrowly approved the $68 million sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County on Monday.
The 8-7 vote comes after months of negotiations between Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Fulton County officials over the future of the downtown detention center.
The agreement is expected to provide Fulton County with approximately 1,300 additional detention beds to help address overcrowding at the county jail on Rice Street.
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Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts previously expressed support for the deal, saying it would benefit both governments.
“It’s a perfect solution to a problem that we have, it’s a mutual problem that we have because the overwhelming majority of our detainees are in fact residents of the city of Atlanta,” Pitts previously told Channel 2 Action News.
Fulton County already leases space at the city detention center. That agreement is scheduled to expire in December.
Under the proposed sale agreement, Atlanta would continue using a portion of the facility to house people in city custody. The city would lease that space from Fulton County for $1 under an agreement lasting up to 50 years.
The proposal faced opposition from some City Council members who questioned whether selling the facility was in Atlanta’s best interest.
Concerns included the future of city corrections employees, the financial impact of the sale and whether Fulton County has the resources to operate the additional jail space.
The sale comes as Fulton County continues to address overcrowding and deteriorating conditions at its main jail, which is under a federal consent decree.
Monday’s vote authorizes the sale, but the transfer of ownership still requires the transaction to be completed.
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