PENDER COUNTY — A new jail may be in store for Pender County.
At its regular meeting Monday, the Pender County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a contract toward the $850,000 purchase of a 112-acre lot, though it did not disclose the location. Officials say the plan is to build an elaborate law enforcement complex that will hold the jail, sheriff’s offices, administrative offices, narcotics center, labs, and a 911 communication center.
Pender County Manager Mickey Duvall said the board has talked about a new law enforcement complex for years. The new jail could be the start of a “one-stop shop” for operations and service in the county.
Duvall said his office is awaiting the seller’s signature. After that, it will announce the property’s location.
He added the county will enter a due diligence process to make sure the land is suitable for building. If it isn’t, the county will not go through with the transaction. That approach will essentially “hold the property off market for now until the due diligence process,” Duvall explained.
He said the county will discuss plans for the existing jail at a later date and, if all goes as planned, may close on the new property by the end of the year.
