Green County officials are taking steps to tear down the old county jail located in downtown Xenia.
Meanwhile a new Greene County correctional facility is being constructed.
Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger said the facility upgrade is long overdue.
“The amount of people that have substance abuse and mental health issues that come into our facilities has continued to increase. The age of our population in the jail has increased. So for many, many reasons this facility has been needed in our county for decades," he said.
After the groundbreaking in December, progress is being made on the new $76 million Greene County Gene Fischer Correctional Center at 2295 Greene Way Boulevard in Xenia.
The nonprofit Xenia Community Improvement Corp. will apply for funding from the state’s brownfield remediation program to finance the demolition of the old jail and administrative offices.
While the funding process plays out, the county is still operating the jail as a detention facility.
Once removed, the old site would house new facilities for much of the county’s administrative services.
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