Study recommends demolishing old jail, relocating health department; Memorial Hall reuse proposed

Consultants and city and county staff presented a joint space-study today that recommends demolishing the city’s old jail, relocating the Saline County health department and pursuing a phased reuse of Memorial Hall while reconfiguring downtown parking and court space.

The study, presented at a joint meeting of the Salina City Commission and the Saline County Board of Commissioners, lays out a multi-decade plan centered on three near-term moves: remove the unused jail, find a new location for the county health department, and begin shifting administrative functions into Memorial Hall if a viable reuse can be secured. “The very first recommendation is to knock down the old jail, and I will say yes. Absolutely, we can afford that. The county has cash on hand for the cost of knocking down the old jail,” said Sean, project consultant, summarizing the consultant team’s recommendations and the county’s preliminary financing analysis.

The nut graf: The report aims to address long-standing space shortages—chiefly for county offices and the police department—while preserving downtown assets. Reuse of Memorial Hall is framed as a possible long-term solution, but consultants and commissioners emphasized the plan’s phased nature, significant cost and a need for concrete developer commitments or voter-backed financing before major work begins.

Study findings and recommendations

Consultants presented six large moves with associated subrecommendations on parking, street alignments and campus definition. Key recommendations include demolishing the old jail…