BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Earlier this year, Erie County leaders proposed closing the downtown holding center and renovating the current correctional facility in Alden while also building additional complexes on land that the county already owns.
The proposed plan came with a hefty price tag of more than $428 million, but county leaders said consolidating by downsizing the number of cells and staff would save millions.
Now, that plan appears to be on hold as the Erie County Legislature has removed the jail design study from the 2026 capital budget proposal.
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia issued the following statement on Monday:
“The Honorable Members of the Erie County Legislature have exercised their obligation to carefully review the budget. We deeply appreciate their consideration of this capital project. However, we are disappointed that the plan – which was recommended by experts and would positively transform conditions for incarcerated individuals and our working staff – will not move forward at this time.
This regrettable decision comes with a cost, as substantial investment in our two Jail Management Division facilities will be required in the coming decades. This includes an estimated $54 million in work that was identified this year for urgent and important projects. Removal of this proposal from the budget does nothing to address the fact that the duplication of services between our facilities costs Erie County taxpayers more than $15 million each year. I have done my job by bringing this to the legislators’ attention. It is my hope that they understand the magnitude of this situation. As I have said all along, doing nothing is not an option.”
As part of the proposal in May, the county conducted a full “Comprehensive Facility and Operational Needs Assessment,” considering four options to address the poor conditions of the current downtown holding center and the high cost of operating two aging facilities.
Based on an anticipated future population of the facilities, these five development options were evaluated in the Needs Assessment:
- Baseline – Continue operating and maintaining two facilities, Erie County Holding Center in downtown Buffalo and Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. The cost of this option is $218.3 million.
- Option 1 – Consolidate downtown at the Holding Center - Selective demolition and expansion at the downtown Erie County Holding Center. The cost of this option is $435.2 million.
- Option 2 – Demolish the downtown Erie County Holding Center and construct a new joint facility on the same site. The cost of this option is $698.4 million.
- Option 3 – New Downtown Facility on Unknown Site. Would require land acquisition. The cost of this option is $695.8 million.
- Option 4- Consolidate Facilities at the Correctional Facility in Alden- renovation and expansion at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. The cost of this option is $428. 8 million
