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Atlanta City Detention Center Sale

At a glance

  • What: Resolution 26-R-4001 (sponsors Boone, Martin, Hillis, Norwood) authorizes the mayor to sign an intergovernmental agreement to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center at 254 Peachtree Street SW to Fulton County for an amount not to exceed $68,000,000.
  • Where it stands: On October 19, 2026 the full Council adopted the substitute version 8 to 7 and sent it to the mayor post haste. The minutes for that meeting are still marked DRAFT.
  • Next: A separate intergovernmental agreement with the Sheriff on use of space and services (including housing of municipal detainees) must be negotiated and returns to Council for its own approval. K. Bond's competing resolution (26-R-4126) is held in the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee, next meeting October 26 at 1:00 PM.

What the resolution does

  • Sale price not to exceed $68,000,000, with the Chief Financial Officer depositing the proceeds into the account named in the legislation.
  • The October 19 title, as printed in the minutes, says that after the sale is authorized the City and the Sheriff will negotiate a separate intergovernmental agreement, which requires later Council approval, on use of space and provision of services at the center, including housing of municipal detainees.
  • Earlier printed versions (September 21 and October 5) also described a City right of first refusal and first option to buy before the County could sell to a third party (term up to 50 years), and a lease agreement of up to 50 years at $1 under which people in City custody or under Municipal Court jurisdiction would stay in leased space with City supervision and services, with the County continuing to reserve space and honor earlier agreements on the Center for Diversion and Services. Those terms do not appear in the October 19 title as printed; the record does not say whether they were dropped or moved to the separate agreement.

Path to the October 19 vote

  • September 14: the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee held the item for more information (as recorded in later minutes).
  • September 21: returned as held to Public Safety and Legal Administration, next meeting September 28 at 1:00 PM (no objection).
  • September 28: the committee reported it favorable as amended, 4 yeas and 2 nays. September 30: the Finance/Executive Committee held it at the committee's request.
  • October 5: returned as held to Finance/Executive, next meeting October 14 at 1:30 PM (no objection).
  • October 19: on the floor under Pro Tem Boone (Council President Overstreet was absent).

October 19 motions and votes, in order

  • Winston moved to bring forth a substitute, seconded by Martin: carried 15-0.
  • Martin moved to adopt on substitute, seconded by Worthy: carried 14-1.
  • Martin moved to enter the committee of the whole, seconded by Collins: carried 15-0 by unanimous consent.
  • Hillis moved to exit the committee of the whole, seconded by Wan: failed 7-8. Bakhtiari then moved to exit, seconded by Wan: carried 14-0.
  • Worthy moved to call the question, seconded by Martin: carried 13-2, with M. Bond and Lewis opposed.
  • Martin moved to adopt on substitute: carried 8-7. Martin then moved to reconsider, seconded by Wan: carried 9-6 (yes: Westmoreland, Collins, Winston, Dozier, Wan, Worthy, Norwood, Hillis, Martin; no: M. Bond, K. Bond, Amos, Bakhtiari, Boone, Lewis).
  • Wan moved to adopt on substitute, seconded by Martin: carried 8-7. Yes: Westmoreland, Winston, Wan, Worthy, Norwood, Hillis, Boone, Martin. No: M. Bond, Collins, K. Bond, Amos, Dozier, Bakhtiari, Lewis.
  • Martin moved to send to the mayor post haste, seconded by Norwood: carried 8-5.
  • Data note: the minutes' heading line for this item reads "15 yeas; 0 nays" and the summary blocks for the procedural votes do not match the narrative; this page follows the narrative and the final RESULT block (8-7).

Competing resolution

  • 26-R-4126 by K. Bond would reaffirm support for closing and repurposing the center, support the Community Over Cages "Path to 1,000" report recommendations, apologize to the Task Force to Reimagine ACDC for failing to communicate a departure from its recommendations, and reaffirm Council's belief that any lease or sale proceeds be used exclusively for a Center for Equity and transitional housing. Introduced September 21 and referred to Public Safety and Legal Administration; returned as held October 5 and again October 19 (next October 26, 1:00 PM).

Sources

Log

2026-10-19 - City Council

Resolution 26-R-4001 adopted on substitute 8-7 after a committee-of-the-whole sequence, a failed motion to exit (7-8), a call of the question (13-2), a reconsideration (9-6) and a second 8-7 vote; sent to the mayor post haste (8-5). 26-R-4126 returned as held (next October 26).

2026-10-05 - City Council

26-R-4001 returned as held to Finance/Executive (next October 14) after the committee had held it September 30 following a 4-2 favorable report from Public Safety on September 28. 26-R-4126 returned as held to Public Safety.

2026-09-21 - City Council

26-R-4001 returned as held to Public Safety and Legal Administration (next September 28). K. Bond's 26-R-4126 introduced and referred to the same committee.