Garrett Neese/ Daily Mining Gazette Houghton County Vice Chair Roy Britz reads the details of a purchase agreement with First Apostolic Lutheran Church for land on Sharon Avenue. The board approved the purchase for the potential site of a new county jail and other county offices.

HOUGHTON — Houghton County is a step closer to a new jail.

The county board unanimously approved a $1.2 million purchase agreement for the First Apostolic Lutheran Church property on Sharon Avenue in Houghton at a special meeting Thursday morning. The money will come from the county’s $6.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Getting a site nailed down was considered a prerequisite for the county asking voters for a millage increase to fund construction of a new jail. The county’s current jail, built in 1963, has dealt with numerous issues surrounding overcrowding and poor conditions.

“I think this is going to be a great asset for the county and allow us to move forward with at least saying that we have the property necessary for a jail when we go and ask for approval (from the voters),” said Commissioner Kevin Codere, who thanked Vice Chair Roy Britz and Commissioner Gretchen Janssen for negotiating.

Under the agreement, the church would be able to use the site until August 31, 2026.

Houghton County had drafted a tentative agreement last year with the church, which plans to build a bigger structure near Gundlach Road. However, plans stalled after rising building costs delayed construction plans for the new church.

The agreement is contingent upon reaching a Public Act 425 agreement with Portage Township, where the property is located. PA 425 agreements would effectively transfer the land from Portage Township to the county seat of Houghton — a constitutional requirement for the county sheriff’s department, which would also be moved to the site.

The board approved the motion with an amendment from Commissioner Glenn Anderson to reduce the length of a possible PA agreement with Portage Township from 50 years to nine, as the township had discussed last year. That agreement would require the county to finish construction on the jail within nine years, or the land would again fall within the township.

“If we don’t build a jail in nine years, it’s probably never going to happen,” Anderson said. “Once it’s built as a jail, there’s no question. It would be 425 for 100 years.”

Thursday’s agreement comes as the list of potential options within the city is shrinking. J.M. Longyear is exploring a possible residential development on city-owned land behind Walmart, which had been floated as an alternate site.

Getting a new jail would still depend on voters approving a millage for construction, board members said. Voters have rejected several past measures, including the narrow defeat of a jail addition behind the county courthouse in 2018.

A county task force formed to study the jail issue recommended building a new jail, district court and sheriff’s office. The county board picked the Sharon Avenue site due to location, as well as the potential to expand. It would also be large enough to potentially house a new courthouse, commissioners have said. County administrators have said the more than century-old courthouse poses safety and overcrowding issues.

Even if a jail isn’t approved, the county might be able to use the site as an administrative annex similar to the one in Baraga County, Anderson said.

The board also approved $500,000 in ARPA funding for a rooftop air-conditioning unit replacement.

The rooftop unit services between 60% and 70% of the building; the rest is served by a unit under the parking deck. County workers said temperatures have often exceeded 90 degrees in parts of the building.

“We’ve been fortunate to keep it operating this far, and we have a qualified contractor suggesting that this needs to go,” Chair Tom Tikkanen said. “It simply is antiquated and not performing adequately.”

Administrator Elizabeth Bjorn said because of delays in getting material, upgrades would likely take place in 2024.

About $2.1 million of the county’s $6.8 million in ARPA money has yet to be obligated, Bjorn said. County departments have submitted $20 million in requests.