The

Fayette County Facilities Authority signed a bond

resolution Thursday to begin the process of

issuing $58 million in revenue bonds to build and

equip a new county jail and courthouse.

Debt

service is estimated at $5 million per year for

30 years.

The

preliminary designs for the new jail should be

ready for review this week with construction

expected to begin in December, according to

county attorney Bill McNally.

Mary

Shaver, one of three members of the Facilities

Authority, called the plans well-conceived noting

that the "wanna haves were weeded out from

the needs."

Fellow

member Jack Smith noted that the design

segregates the prisoners from the judges and the

public and also allows for expansion.

Estimated

construction time is two years, the authority

said, with 18 months spent on building the new

facility and another six months spent renovating

the old jail to house the sheriff's offices.

Robinson Humphrey Company, Inc. has been selected

to conduct the bond sale.

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