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 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.”…