Shelby County commissioners have penciled in Aug. 20 to discuss a proposal to relocate the Shelby County Jail — along with the entire criminal and civil justice system — to a long-vacant property in North Memphis.
“Outside of just the need for a new facility, we believe there is an opportunity to have a transformative effect on North Memphis not seen since the 1980s, when the Firestone plant left that area,” said Kemp Conrad, vice president at Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Advisors, a commercial real estate advisory firm.
During their Aug. 6 meeting, commissioners agreed to move the issue to the next Law Enforcement, Corrections and Courts Committee meeting while considering a potential funding source for a $350,000 master plan. The blueprint would “define options and refine costs” but would not “execute the full project.”
The proposal follows a 177-page County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) report released in June that recommended several locations to replace the aging jail. Estimates for a new facility run as high as $1.4 billion.
Phase one of the proposed relocation would consolidate operations at the 201 Poplar jail, Juvenile Court and juvenile detention facilities into “modern and efficient infrastructure” on the 110-acre property. It would also eliminate the need to transport inmates between locations.
The civil courts would follow in phase two. The final phase would relocate the Shelby County Penal Farm, which currently operates on a 100-acre site at Shelby Farms.
According to planners, the moves could spur development in underserved North Memphis. The former tire plant site is a two-minute drive from Interstate 40 and about six minutes from downtown.
“Our hope is a lot of the attorneys and supporting businesses will move out that way, things like that. If not, it is six minutes away,” Conrad said. “If you have thousands of people coming to work in an area, you’re going to need more restaurants … residential. You’re going to need retail.”
If all three phases of the plan are approved, it would free up 10 acres of prime real estate in the Convention Center District of Downtown Memphis, as well as another 100 acres of county-controlled property at Shelby Farms.
Memphis-based SMPO Properties is the development lead. Architects, designers and a contractor have already been identified. Stakeholders in the public-private project include federal, state and county governments.
“Privately owned land provides access to funds that government may not have, that will make this a financially attractive option for Shelby County. These are just some of the areas where you will see benefits to the county,” Conrad said.
Nevertheless, commissioners agreed with Commissioner Shante Avant’s suggestion to amend the proposal to allow for consideration of additional sites, including downtown or Shelby Farms. Commissioner Henri Brooks also requested the language be expanded to reflect that flexibility.
“That could include wherever,” Brooks said. “I don’t want us to limit ourselves because we may have some availability. If we have certain names in this resolution, we’ll be stuck with those.”
There were no objections.
While a location and funding source for the master plan remain undetermined, there is broad agreement on the need for a new facility.
The 43-year-old jail at 201 Poplar is in a constant state of disrepair. In fiscal 2025, commissioners approved $18 million in repairs, including jail doors, escalator repairs and safety upgrades. However, officials say those improvements have not significantly improved overall safety.
There have been at least seven deaths at the overcrowded facility this year. Since 2019, 63 inmate fatalities have occurred.
“The current facility is unsafe for staff and detainees. The cost of doing nothing is continued jail maintenance costs, additional tort liability claims … none of those are good for the county,” said Alicia Lindsey, chief administrative officer for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. “The jail is the main priority for Sheriff (Floyd Bonner, Jr.). We would just ask the commission to support this endeavor so we can move forward.”
In April, Tennessee lawmakers rejected a proposed 1-cent increase to the state sales tax to help fund a new facility.
