Macon-Bibb County Commission hires companies for jail expansion, new arena

Following a lengthy meeting behind closed doors Tuesday, the Macon-Bibb County Commission approved two companies to design the planned Bibb County Jail expansion and the new arena.

Georgia-based Jericho Design Group was chosen to design the jail expansion, which will add 150 beds, including 96 maximum-security beds and 24 beds for inmates with mental health issues.

Commissioners also approved PBK Architects to design a new arena to be constructed next to the Macon Coliseum near the Second Street exit on Interstate 16. The design firm was recommended to commissioners by Memphis-based MFA Program Management, a company the board voted to hire in June to oversee construction of the arena.

Miller said the county is set to break ground on the new arena in July 2026 and construction could be completed in about three years. The Coliseum will remain open and operating during construction.

A cost was not mentioned for design work related to the arena, but county documents show PBK will not be paid more than 7.25% of the total cost of the arena plus 4% of the total cost of a parking deck should one be needed.

Both architectural firms were unanimously approved with Commissioner Seth Clark absent. 

A temporary fix

Drafts of the expansion design show jail cells that are built off-site then shipped to Macon.

“Each one goes together like a Lego set,” Clay Murphy, the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax manager, said of the cells, which can be relocated in the future if the county decides to build a new jail elsewhere. “It won’t be an eyesore. It will be a metal building.”

The jail also features doors with hinges that cannot be jammed and a raised control from where officers will “be able to see every cell in the jail,” Murphy said. “This is a temporary fix that needs a long-term solution.”

Mayor Lester Miller said the designs, locations, number of beds and price are subject to change, but the expansion could be completed in 14-16 months. The county may demolish one of the office buildings and a parking lot to help keep down costs, which are estimated between $28-32 million.

Sheriff David Davis told the commission he is looking forward to groundbreaking.

“I think we are a significant step in the right direction because we have cells that will help those who are chronically ill and chronically mentally ill,” Davis said. “I like the technology that this company brings to bear.”

Terry McGhee addressed the board during public comment and said the county needs a new jail, not an expansion. McGhee asked commissioners if they are “blind, deaf or just don’t care.”

“We’ve been doing CPR long enough on this jail, and it’s a dead body,” McGhee said. “How bad does that jail have to be before you finally put a new jail in?”

Deaths in the county jail and inhumane conditions prompted public outcry earlier this year that included a march to city hall. More recently, U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Democrats from Georgia, penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for the Justice Department to investigate the jail for possible violations of inmates’ civil rights.

In other business

The board also approved $7.7 million for Piedmont Mining to build a runway extension at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. The board also voted to accept some $3.6 million in Federal Aviation Administration money for airport improvements and match it with $2 million from the county’s general fund.

Also Tuesday night, the board approved additional contracts for the mayor’s paving initiative, including:

• A contract with McLeRoy for paving at a cost of $781,537.47 to be paid with 2025 state road improvement money and 2018 SPLOST money.
• A contract with Professional Paving Services for paving at a cost of $968,685.23 to be paid with state road improvement money and 2018 SPLOST money.
• A contract with Professional Paving Services for paving at a cost of $1.2 million to be paid for with 2018 SPLOST money and state transportation grant money.
• A contract with Atlanta Paving & Concrete Construction for paving at a cost of $717,715.12 to be paid for with 2018 SPLOST money and state transportation grant money.