FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County will move ahead with plans to renovate its troubled Rice Street Jail.

The $1.1B plan is to construct a special purpose building next to the current jail and then renovate the original Rice Street facility.

The head of Fulton County Government had proposed a plan to commissioners this week aimed at fixing long-standing problems at the Fulton County Jail.

The proposal includes building a new 3,200-bed special-purpose facility dedicated to mental and medical health needs, while also renovating troubled jail.

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said there was no appetite among commissioners for a new jail that would cost more than $2 billion.

“This plan for the future of the jail prioritizes the needs of the detainees who need the most care,” said Pitts. “It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail.”

At the vote, Commissioner Dana Barrett abstained, noting nothing significant will be happening at the troubled jail on Rice Street in the interim.

“We’re in a very, very difficult situation right now, and the people in our jail and the employees who work there and all of that deserve better,” Barrett lamented.