Jun 16, 2009 6:24 pm US/Eastern
Towson Jail Gets A Makeover
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) ―
-
-
Baltimore County officials cheered 159 years ago when their newest civic achievement opened.
CBS
Baltimore County officials cheered 159 years ago when their newest civic achievement opened.
Mike Schuh reports it was a building few people wanted to visit, but soon that will change.
This is not your usual rehab. Historic banisters are being protected for when the paint scrapers come into the jail.
"What we're planning on doing is restoring the front half and the back half of the building," said developer Tony Azola.
The back half is the place where there are 36 concrete and steel jail cells. That's where the offices will go.
"We plan on renovating the building," Azola said.
Without irony, it's said lawyers will fill the jail. Just to stabilize these ruins would have cost the county $600,000 but it will cost the developer $1 million to fix everything.
"We're the landlord," said Bob Bartlett, Parks & Recreation.
It's like touring a Hollywood movie set. In fact, "The Wire" did film here. Peeling paint is everywhere. There's a leaky roof and water in the basement. Untouched for years, it cooked much of the paint off the walls.
Next door, there's going to be something the prisoners could never have imagined.
"This is where the pool will go," Bartlett said.
The Towson Swim Center is collecting membership money right now.
"The neighborhood togetherness that a pool brings is just phenomenal," said Mike Ertel, Towson Swim Center.
So as the jail is cleaned out, about 75 more families are needed to break ground on the pool outside.
"What we're hoping is that it brings some life to this section of Towson," Azola said.
The developers aren't yet sure how much it will cost to rent an office at the jail.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
