Representatives of Franklin County spoke to the Downtown Commission last week, laying out a timeline for their multi-phase plan to demolish the county jail and build a childcare center in its place.
Demolition of the building, which sits at 370 S. Front St., could start as soon as February but would take about a year to complete, they said, given the complexity of the project. Constructed using post-tensioned concrete, the building is not really a candidate for renovation to another use – demolishing interior walls would be a challenge and could lead to structural instability.
Another challenge is how interconnected the jail building is with the rest of the multi-building county campus, known as the Franklin County Government Center…