Atlanta accepts Fulton County's $68 million offer to buy the downtown jail, Dickens says
Mayor Andre Dickens says the city has agreed to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County for $68 million.
Negotiations between the two governments over the downtown jail have been going on for months, but in a letter obtained by CBS News Atlanta, the mayor said that the city accepted Fulton County's most recent offer.
Dickens proposed the $68 million price in an Aug. 31 counteroffer after Fulton County offered approximately $56.5 million for the downtown detention center.
The mayor gave the county until Sept. 21 to accept the city's proposal. County officials did not wait that long. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts wrote in a Sept. 2 letter that they agreed on the price.
"The City of Atlanta accepts Fulton County's offer to purchase the Atlanta City Detention Center for $68 million," Dickens wrote in Tuesday's letter. "This agreement is expected to deliver over $600 million in net present value to Fulton County taxpayers by leveraging existing detention capacity and avoiding substantially greater future capital costs. Additionally, this structure protects city employees and maintains diversion center operations."
The mayor said that Atlanta's COO, CFO, city attorney, and other officials are prepared to meet immediately with the county to finalize the agreements needed to close the transaction. Dickens also said that his administration would introduce legislation at Tuesday's Atlanta City Council meeting to start the legislative process while both parties work on the documents.
In the city's earlier counteroffer, Dickens asked for Fulton County to retain enough space at the detention center to house people arrested on municipal charges and conduct intake and administrative work and the first opportunity to buy the property if the county later decides to sell it. Pitts said it would be open to discussing those conditions with some limitations.
Atlanta had originally sought $80 million for the facility, arguing that an independent appraisal valued the property at approximately $144.6 million.
Pitts has said the county wants to close the sale by Dec. 4.
