Michigan Representative Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres) has reintroduced a bill in the state House that could allow an abandoned prison in the Bay Region city of Standish to be repurposed.
“We are excited that something may happen with the facility,” said Brad Mason, the city manager of Standish. “It’s been disappointing to have it closed.”
The former maximum-security facility, containing five 88-bed housing units and one 164-bed housing unit, has been closed since 2009 due to budget cuts and a declining state prison population.
If the bill passes, it will allow the state to put the property up for public sale, after which the state could, among other possibilities, sell it to the local government at market value.
Because of the statewide shortage of psychiatric hospital beds for both adults and teens, Hoadley, the bill's sponsor, said he hopes the property can serve as a mental health facility.
The bill's language does not require a specific use for the property, though, and Hoadley and Mason said they're open to other options.
“We are hoping that there will be some interest and something can happen out there that would bring value to our community,” Mason said.
