Portion of new jail site land... Photo by Barry West
The Coffee County Commission was given the green light to move forward with the purchase of land designated for construction of the new jail. Commissioner and Jail Review Committee Chairman Chris Bird said that the land designated for the new jail was finally approved for construction by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and that therefore the county could now execute the purchase. The 44-acre site is located on the Hillsboro Highway.
Some commissioners have stated they wanted to build on the current site but others argued that point. It is estimated the county buying adjacent land to the current jail would cost approximately $800,000. This would be to buy houses near the site to be torn down, cleared and extra land needed for the new jail. The land on the Hillsboro Hwy is being bought for $480,000.
