City officials today narrowed potential jail locations inside Seattle from the original four locations to two, and then added a new third site for consideration. You can discover all the details here.
Of the original four in-city sites, Interbay and First Avenue South Bridge remain active. The new in-city location being considered is a county-owned vacant lot next to the existing jail in downtown Seattle at 5th and James Street. Three other potential sites were identified today by our partner north and east county cities in Shoreline, Bellevue, and unincorporated King County near Redmond.
I strongly favor a regional jail solution and the announcement today that six sites will move forward for further evaluation is a strong step in that direction. Adding on to the existing downtown jail is a very attractive option because it would allow use of existing facilities (e.g., jail kitchen, medical facility, laundry, etc.) and provide for continued centralization of jail and other criminal justice facilities.