The Oregon City Council approved a request yesterday evening from Ogle County officials dealing with rezoning property for the construction of a new jail.
The 27 million dollar jail would be located west of the Judicial Center along 6th Street. It would be able to handle between 180 to 200 prisoners.
The property had been zoned for residential use. The request was to rezone the area for commercial use in the future.
The vote last night was 3-2 in favor of the zoning change. Voting against the proposal were Commissioners Jim Barnes and Tom Izer.
Numerous residents in Oregon have voiced their opposition against the jail being built in this area of downtown Oregon. The current jail is located across the street from the Judicial Center. It was built in 1969.
The city council has yet to make a decision about the possibility of closing 6th Street in Oregon for a sally port that would connect the jail to the Judicial Center. This issue was not on the agenda during last night's meeting.
The county has 2 proposals to consider dealing with 6th Street. This issue is expected to be talked about next month by city officials.