Cleveland Moves Closer to Sale of Police HQ

The sale of Cleveland’s jail and police headquarters to Cuyahoga County is moving forward, and could receive approval from city council as soon as next week.

Cleveland safety officials say the headquarters has aged past its useful life, and plan to sell the property at the downtown Justice Center for just north of $9 million.

The city expects to save between five and seven million dollars a year by turning over the jail to Cuyahoga County as part of this plan.

The transition is expected to take a year once legislation is passed.

“This is part of a comprehensive strategy by the city to get out of the business of housing prisoners,” Councilman Matt Zone said at a development committee meeting this week.

The proposed sale was approved out of the development committee Tuesday. It heads next to the finance committee, traditionally the last stop before a council vote.

The city had intended to move police HQ to a building at Public Square. But now Cleveland is asking for proposals from property owners in the broader downtown area, officials said at the meeting.

Cuyahoga County Council has not yet voted on legislation finalizing its end of the deal.