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CEDAR CITY — Following months of discussion and public input, the Iron County Commission has unanimously decided to move forward with plans to build a new county jail on a piece of vacant property at the northeastern edge of Cedar City.
After hearing from approximately two dozen people at the public hearing held during Monday's regular commission meeting, the commissioners voted 3-0 to move ahead with the process to obtain the property in question with the intention of locating the new county correctional facility there.
The chosen location had been nicknamed "Automall" due to its relative proximity to Automall Drive, a winding dead-end road that comes off Main Street near the I-15 Exit 62 interchange.
The automotive dealerships that were once envisioned to make their home there have never materialized, and the area remains undeveloped.
However, the location of the proposed jail site is actually about half a mile to the east of Automall Drive, adjacent to the foothills to the east and just south of a large natural pit. The pit would likely be used as the site of a water detention basin, officials said at the meeting.
Additionally, even though the property in question comprises 40 acres, only the easternmost 15 acres – about 38% of the parcel — would be used for the jail complex, including the 5 or so acres occupied by the retention pit. The remaining 25 acres to the west would be available for commercial development, county officials said during the meeting.
