Gov. Pillen, Mayor Gaylor Baird announce new location for Nebraska prison

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Gov. Jim Pillen and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird joined together on Wednesday to announce that the site of Nebraska’s newest prison is changing.

The new location is just north of Interstate 80 at 70th and McKelvie streets.

The prison, which will replace the Nebraska State Penitentiary, was originally set to be built near 112th and Adams streets, just east of several neighborhoods.

But after city officials, including Councilman James Michael Bowers, voiced concerns about the location, the state decided to move the site.

Located near Lincoln’s landfill, the new location is city-owned and will be sold to the state. Pillen said the new site will be virtually the same size as the original choice, give or take an acre.

The mayor said the city still has options if it needs to expand the landfill or recycling services.

Pillen said he wanted the new prison near Lincoln because it has the necessary workers. It also has access to major roads, and he thinks an urban location will help rehabilitated inmates reenter society.

Gaylor Baird said she initially turned down Pillen’s team when they wanted to buy the 70th Street site.

But when the state decided on 112th and Adams, she said she reopened the conversation, hoping to swap locations.

She said the city’s plans for expanding in that area, as well as the public’s reaction to the announcement, played a role in the decision.

“We certainly shared their concerns,” Gaylor Baird said. “When we reached out to the governor and his team, they were incredibly responsive.”

SEE ALSO: Neighbors worried about plan for new Nebraska prison; county says it was ‘not consulted’

The governor said he didn’t speak to the city council, the Lancaster County Board or any citizens before deciding on the swap, but the mayor said their input would be taken into account going forward.

“I call it a win-win-win,” Pillen said. “A win for the people of Nebraska, a win for the City of Lincoln, and a win for the State of Nebraska.”

Bowers said he’s going to make sure his constituents remain part of the conversation.

“I’m really proud of northeast Lincolnites for getting their voice heard, for organizing, and for advocating for one another in our community,” he said.

SEE ALSO: Local officials ‘had no idea’ Nebraska was planning to build prison just east of Lincoln

Sen. Danielle Conrad said she’s happy that citizens made their voices heard.

“Citizen engagement works,” she said. “Citizens organized, citizens activated. They came together, they petitioned their government, and they urged respectful and swift reconsideration.”

Conrad also said she was glad to hear the governor talk about criminal justice reform and helping inmates return to their community.

Officials said the new prison is still expected to begin construction in September 2024 and be finished by 2027.