The County Board has proposed spending $59.1 million dollars to build a Regional Jail Complex along the river front on 1st Avenue facing our downtown .... This project is detrimental to the neighborhood, downtown Eau Claire & future City development plans. It is unacceptable in this economic time to spend what will end up at $100 million dollars to build a regional jail.
What is being Proposed
The jail & future expansion is more than just a decorative building on the river. The county is proposing over the next several years to develop
· a five-story Regional Jail Complex capable of housing more than 750 regional inmates
· a new 41.1 million dollar county courts facility that, when completed, will eliminate all homes in the first block on the north side of Lake Street
· a two to three level parking ramp that will be located on Oxford Avenue
REZONING CAN BE REJECTED
In order to build the new Jail Complex & other future plans the county must request the City to rezone the area along the Bike trail and 1st Ave from West Grand Ave to Lake St. ….
This rezoning request is scheduled to happen in early August.. Contact your City Council & tell them to SAY ~ NO!
NOW is the time to ACT & STOP the Jail
The Comprehensive Plan, approved by the city called for a Courthouse District in the subject area. The Plan intended to encourage the development of the Courthouse District as a “government activity center area, emphasizing government and professional offices, personal services, and convenience retail and food establishments, serving primarily residents of the neighborhood and employees and users of the courthouse campus.”
The Courthouse District concept never intended use of this area to build a Regional Jail Complex that can reach upwards of 5 stories. The County’s current long term plans are in conflict with the City’s best interests.
Before they head down this path
YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP NOW SO CITY COUNCIL KNOWS WHAT YOU EXPECT THEM TO DO !!!!!

DEMAND FULL DISCLOSURE
County Plans call for a new Courthouse addition that will EVENTUALLY extend out and eliminate all homes along the north side of Lake St in addition to the Jail facility that is planned to expand to double its initial size. The county will also be adding a 3 story parking ramp to service their needs if allowed to continue in this direction.
This is a far cry from a Courthouse District that may have entailed expanding the current courthouse and some parking to be complimented by shops, restaurants and boutiques in that area.
ACT NOW TO STOP THE JAIL
Citizens for Accountability in Jail Expansion is collecting signatures and will continue AWARENESS RALLIES to give the Citizens of Eau Claire an opportunity to give direction to the City Council and choose the future heritage we will leave along our river fronts... Do we want Eau Claire in 50 years to say “What were they thinking .. putting a County Jail Complex in that location ??”
Now is the time that the
choice must be made.
YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT
We need open honest discussion & full disclosure of the county plans .... not just a request for a decorative 2 story building with clock towers ... It is a shame the county failed to involve the public in a true discourse on this project and also failed to be more vocal & respectful of the city’s comprehensive planning process. There were many opportunities when people spoke out … but they were politely ignored in the process of getting to where we are now. It is not too late for the county to mend its ways and take another course if – YOU – the public direct the City Council to act on your behalf.
Speak out now or forever leave our history to questioned as to why we allowed a large County Jail Complex to be built overlooking the rivers & downtown Eau Claire.

REQUEST SANITY
Against overwhelming public sentiment, without meaningful public participation, in violation of planning recommendations of the National Institute of Corrections, in defiance of the City’s comprehensive plans for our unique waterfront, and without any open and honest exploration of different alternatives to weigh various priorities and needs in search of the best ways to meet local security needs, the County is fixated on a single, conventional plan. It is visionless and comes at a huge cost to the city. Do not participate in this violation of the public trust by doing nothing.
Please use help to stop this process before any more local monies are wasted on it and before we head irreversibly toward a commitment that our community will soon regret.
Make it very clear to or City Leaders that they MUST vote against any attempt to rezone our prime water front for a massive jail.
We have recently made wonderful strides toward making Eau Claire great, and the jail as envisioned by the County is a great step backward. Do not let that happen. Instead, use the current opportunity to demonstrate a healthy combination of wisdom, vision and creativity to work with the county to develop a model plan for a county jail/courthouse/service system that is accurately based on – and meets – the needs of all sectors of our community.
There are several other viable options and alternatives…. Once the City Council rejects the rezoning and the County must re-think their needs.
BUILD IT & WE SHALL FILL IT
There has been widespread talk that we would rent out beds … import prisoners to help pay for the facility. We have a serious concern that if we build it, they will fill it by importing prisoners from other counties around the state…. Do not let this occur !!!!!
Is this what we need in downtown Eau Claire… across from the Bike trail… right on the edge of our University campus area ???
Let your council members know how you feel about the Jail NOW

A Riverfront Jail Is for the Birds

IT IS OK TO SAY NO !!!!
We believe that the proposed County Jail Facility and future expansion plans for that Jail Complex do not belong downtown and do not fit the direction we have chosen for our city. There are other options the county can & should explore
WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE JAIL
· Does not comply with Comprehensive Plan
· Detrimental to Downtown development
· Destructive to the neighborhood
· Fiscal burden in these times to tax payers
· Larger than we need to serve our county
· Being a regional rent-a-bed jail is not in
our best interests
· Cannot afford $60 to $100 million dollars
· We need to find out our Judicial needs
BEFORE we build a new jail
· Is in the wrong location even according to
good Jail design standards
· The majority of Eau Claire citizens and
tax payers oppose the project
· There are many other more viable alternatives that have not had the opportunity to be discussed and the city needs to make the county redesign and re-think their long term projects
· Full disclosure of the long term County plans must be discussed because they do not meet the goals of the city, the downtown and the neighborhood
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VISIT OUR WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION
WWW. ECCAJE . BLOGSPOT.COM
WWWJENANDDAN.COM/JAIL
What Can You DO ????
ACT NOW
Contact ALL of our City Council
Contact the members of the Plan Commission
Write letters to the Leader Telegram, to Volume 1 & the media
Write letters to the Council
Email the City Council
Call & personally talk to ALL of the City Council & the City Manager
Sign the Petition opposing the JAIL
Help circulate the Petition for signatures opposing the jail
Send emails to friends
Urge your Friends to get involved
Help create AWARENESS
Show up and speak at the Council Public Hearings
SPEAK UP NOW OR
PAY FOR A LONG TIME LATER
Do not let fiscal mistakes made in your name become burdens for your children & grand-children