PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth is one step closer to moving the city's inmates off the waterfront.
Last month the Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) Authority gave Portsmouth the go-ahead to purchase the regional jail building on Elmhurst Lane.
To do that, five cities that make up the regional jail's board needed to sign off. As of Tuesday night, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, and Portsmouth have all unanimously voted to sell the regional jail to Portsmouth. Hampton is expected to vote on the sale next week.
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The HRRJ has been closed since April. It closed after a years-long decline in staff and inmates. Since then, Portsmouth's been eyeing the Elmhurst Lane building to solve the city's inmate and juvenile offender needs. That's because, the city said, the Crawford Street location is falling apart and has no room for juvenile offenders.
If Portsmouth completes the purchase of the regional jail facility, city leaders hope to tear down the current city jail on Crawford Street.
"I thought that was the craziest thing they could have ever did, put it in front of the water," Portsmouth resident Evelyn Wilson told News 3 Wednesday.
Some locals said they'd hope to see restaurants or businesses in the old jail's location.
"Hopefully it will bring more revenue in. You got the Renaissance and all that so hopefully we can pull together as a community and get Portsmouth revived," said Portsmouth resident Elizabeth Roper.
Others just want one thing:
"Anything but a jail," laughed Wilson.
The city of Portsmouth doesn't know yet what they'll do with the space, but city leaders said they're making plans.
"Either have a request for proposal or unsolicited bid and have a developer come in and develop our waterfront so we can be an entity where people can come and enjoy that space," Lisa Lucas-Burke, Vice Mayor of Portsmouth told News 3 last month.
Portsmouth plans to spend $31.5 million to purchase the regional jail building. The four other cities would get money from the sale.
Norfolk's expected to get $11,569,335, Newport News $9,255,468, Hampton $8,098,535, and Chesapeake $2,576,662. The breakdown is based on how long each city was with the HRRJ Authority and the number of inmate beds they contracted.
