FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County leaders have agreed to a proposed $68 million price to purchase the Atlanta City Detention Center, but a major condition of the deal remains unresolved.
County commissioners accepted the sale price proposed by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens but rejected a condition that would require Fulton County to commit $200 million toward construction of a new hospital on Atlanta’s Southside.
In a letter to Dickens, Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said the board is committed to keeping the detention center safe and humane.
The county is giving the city until Thursday, Sept. 10, to accept its offer without the $200 million hospital commitment.
The latest proposal follows months of back-and-forth negotiations between Fulton County and the city over the possible sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center.
The negotiations come as Fulton County continues efforts to address conditions at its main facility on Rice Street. Investigations by independent monitors and the federal government have cited staffing shortages and dangerous conditions, including hundreds of assaults and stabbings.
Earlier this year, county commissioners approved a $1.3 billion plan aimed at improving conditions. The plan includes construction of a new “special purpose facility” to house “vulnerable inmates,” along with other renovations.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Austin Eller contributed to this story.
