ATLANTA — A $68 million price tag was agreed to for the Atlanta City Detention Center, but work remains on other parts of the negotiation.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens asked Fulton County to buy the ACDC for $68 million, and to decide by Sept. 21.
“I am pleased to inform you that on price, we have a deal,” Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts wrote to Dickens in a letter shared with Channel 2 Action News. “The Board of Commissioners agrees to the price of $68 million for the purchase of the ACDC.”
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Pitts did not accept Dickens request that Fulton County also invest $200 million in a 10-year project to build a new hospital, saying it was unrelated to the transaction at hand.
Now Atlanta has a Sept. 10, 5 p.m. deadline to respond.
“Mr. Mayor, this is a good deal for both governments and all taxpayers and we intend to close it,” Pitts wrote.
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While Pitts said the board was ready to buy the jail immediately, his sticking point was Dickens’ counter-offer’s hospital pitch.
The county board chair said no, saying the healthcare facility was needed but unrelated to the jail purchase.
Pitts said that while the county agrees that access to healthcare is necessary, and critical, the board would not agree to include it in the jail sale negotiations.
Instead, the county chairman urged Dickens to accept the purchase offer on its face.
Pitts said the Board of Commissioners already demonstrated that it will act with urgency when it chose to accept the price within two days of the previous offer.
“It is our desire to reach an agreement and close the transaction on or before Dec. 4, 2026,” Pitts said. “As time is of the essence, we would appreciate a response as soon as possible, but no later than 5 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2026, at which time this offer to purchase ACDC for $68 million will expire.”
Channel 2 Action News is reaching out to the Atlanta Mayor’s Office for a response to Pitts’ letter.
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