PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The City of Portsmouth is just a few steps away from taking over the former Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
Hampton is the only city council left to approve the sale before a deal can be signed. We now know the details behind the contract that would hand the facility over to Portsmouth.
Portsmouth offered to pay $31.5 million for the jail facility.
Here is the breakdown of what each city will receive:
Chesapeake will receive up to $2.57 million. Hampton will net $8.1 million, and Newport News will get $9.2 million, and Norfolk will receive $11.56 million.
Bob Geis, the regional jail board chairman, said the work to sell the facility to City of Portsmouth is almost complete.
Four of the five cities required to sign off on the deal did so this week.
Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake city councils all unanimously voted to allow the jail to close and to sell the 38-acre facility to Portsmouth.
"It is my understanding that Portsmouth will sign the contract once Hampton City Council," said Geis.
He said the money allocation is based on when the cities started using the jail, and the number of beds contracted.
"This will save the city a lot of money," said Geis.
Geis, who is also Chesapeake's deputy city manager, said the extra money can help pay for other priorities, including law enforcement.
The City of Portsmouth could get the keys to the facility as soon as July, and when that happens, the city does not have to worry about a new roof. It needed repairs, but Geis said the board paid to fix it before the sale.
"It was the right thing to do," he said.
Even when Portsmouth takes over, the jail authority and a small staff of four people will remain for two years to maintain records and help with any other business, including legal situations.
Hampton's next city council meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 22.
Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore previously said he hopes to be in the new building by the end of the year.