Vigo County jail site: Former driving range among those in play

In a federal court filing Wednesday, Vigo County Commissioners told a federal judge that board is talking with several parties about buying a jail site, and they anticipate signing a purchase agreement within two to three weeks.

"It's back to the drawing board," Commissioner Brad Anderson said Thursday. 

"We're still looking," said Commissioner Jon Marvel.

Yet Board President Judith Anderson said Thursday the county is primarily focused on land that housed a former golf driving range behind the Honey Creek Mall.

"I think the (former) golf course is still in play. Of course the city wants us there. And that irritates me," said Anderson, an advocate of the former International Paper property along Prairieton Road.

"And since the city denied zoning (of the former International Paper site), we have had a couple (proposed sites) pop up and been offered but are not feasible," she said.

In a previous site search, Anderson said the county was offered 25 acres for about $800,000 for land along Honey Creek Drive, which is behind the sewage treatment plant for the city of Terre Haute and once housed the former Mulligan's Sports Bar and Restaurant, which included a driving range and small golf course.

"That was the offer originally, but I don't know where that is at now, we have to go back," Anderson said.

Anderson said she thinks commissioners have the ability to purchase ground without going to the Vigo County Council.

"It depends on how much it will be," Judith Anderson said, "but we have funding."

The Vigo County Council in March, 2017 approved $3 million for design of a jail. The county has a $2.25 million contract for a jail design with DLZ Architects. That contract is paid as work is completed. The county has paid more than $574,600, so far, to DLZ, said Vigo County Auditor Jim Bramble.

The county still has more than $2.42 million left in a jail budget line item from the county's Economic Development Income Tax, the county auditor said, which can be used to purchase land for a jail.

"There will be more money coming in for the jail when a bond is issued," Bramble said.

Culp Ventures LLC owns the land behind the mall. It bought 49 acres at 500 W. Honey Creek Drive and 2900 Indiana 63 from First Financial Bank for $1.35 million in April, according to county tax records.

Commissioners Brad Anderson and Marvel said they are looking at all options for jail sites, but concede they face a tight schedule. That's because of a federal lawsuit in which the county has already conceded its county jail is operating below constitutional standards. 

"We have actually been under a timeline for probably 15 years," Anderson said, citing jail overcrowding.

Brad Anderson said taxpayers already paid $600,000, buying 65 acres from Powerdyne Terre Haute Holdings LLC in December 2016. Anderson contends that property, which formerly housed International Paper, was a good location for a new jail. However, rezoning of that site failed in an 8-1 vote last week before the Terre Haute City Council.

Anderson said commissioners worked to cut jail costs through reductions in a jail design. Now, he said, buying more land will add more expense for county taxpayers.

"I have still have concerns that if we buy more property in the city, would the (Terre Haute) City Council actually zone it for what we need?" Brad Anderson said. "I have lost faith."

Anderson said it is county commissioners who are charged with finding a location and building a new county jail, adding he thinks "some on the City Council are trying to dictate where we build the jail."

Anderson said he thinks commissioners "may have to look outside the city. There are some new places that have come up that we may want to look at," he said.