Chesapeake City Council may vote on proposed Joint Juvenile Justice Center tonight

Nov. 21--CHESAPEAKE -- The City Council could weigh in on a proposed joint youth correctional facility tonight, after at least a year of public meetings, delays and a site search.

Opposition has come from residents concerned about safety and property values, as well as RISE for Youth, a statewide coalition that advocates for community-based alternatives to incarceration. RISE plans to hold a news conference at 5 p.m. in advance of the council's meeting at 6:30 at City Hall.

If the City Council approves it, the facility could be complete by February 2020, according to the city's website.

The project The state Department of Juvenile Justice and the city want to build a 112-bed joint juvenile justice center, which would be composed of two structures: a 48-bed locally operated detention center and a 64-bed state facility. They'd share dining areas, medical facilities, classrooms, library space and administrative offices.

The cost would be $46.4 million, according to city documents, and the state would shoulder much of that, Virginian-Pilot archives say. The city would contribute $7.5 million and the land. It also would have to ready the site, demolishing existing structures and extending infrastructure, which could run up to $6 million, according to city officials. The council could also vote on a proposed utilities expansion Tuesday night.

The center would have a staff of 300, officials have said.

The location Two sites have been proposed, but the one to be considered tonight is 920 Minuteman Drive. It's roughly 12 acres of school-owned property just south of Grassfield High School and near the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The School Board would have to agree to it.

A nearby city-owned property off Eaglet Parkway also is part of the package.

The proposal Officials say the center would have the appearance of a secure community college campus.

It's meant to replace the city's 1960s-era juvenile detention center in Great Bridge and reduce operating expenses through shared services. Juvenile Justice wants a smaller facility, Pilot archives say, and group-home like living spaces with a designated area for treatment. The focus is rehabilitation, with the goal of lowering recidivism by bringing young people housed in state facilities closer to family and support services, city and state officials have said.

The controversy The city has said the facility is not expected to have a negative impact on nearby homeowners' property values. Neighbors have been unconvinced, voicing their concerns at community meetings and public hearings. Residents are also worried about the safety of the surrounding community. Closed-circuit cameras and perimeter fencing or walls would be part of the facility's security measures, but officials have said the real safety comes from staff involvement and programming.

RISE representatives have said services in the community are a viable alternative to a new youth jail.

City staff have recommended approving the facility; the Planning Commission has voted for denial.

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