Posted: Monday, August 10th 2009 at 2:22pm
CCA shows off downtown detention center



By Jerry Gunn Staff


GAINESVILLE - During a tour of the new North Georgia Detention Center Monday Corrections Corporation of America warden Stacey Stone promised his facility would be a good Midtown Gainesville neighbor.

One City Councilman who took the tour is not so sure.

Stone said CCA has spent $4.5-million four to convert the former Hall County jail on Main Street into a holding center for illegal immigrants facing deportation, plus another $1-million for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices next door.

"We've renovated the inside of the facility and as far as appearance, we always want our places to look professional," Stone said. "I think anyone who rides by will see the work we've done and notice the changes that have been done here."

Gainesville City Councilman Bob Hamrick went on the hour-long tour with city and county officials and the media.

"It has been designed as a state of the art facility," Hamrick said. "The City's objection, I think is just having this in the heart of the city."
"We feel it should be located some place else."

In March CCA’s announcement of a five-year Inter-Governmental Service Agreement between Hall County and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) that it would house up to 500 detainees at the former county jail drew a strong objection from Council.

Mayor Protem Ruth Bruner called it a security issue in the heart of downtown; Councilman Danny Dunagan said he thought the city would be able to buy the jail property and eventually do away with incarceration in Midtown.

Bruner said she was hoping to see the jail’s razor wire disappear.
Stone said Monday it would remain, but efforts were made to make it less visible

“We put it down a little bit, then we painted the fence, but the razor wire will be staying because it goes along the center,â€