Could a proposed land swap end the debate on where to put the new Oklahoma County jail?

The superintendent of a school district has told Oklahoma County commissioners he would ask his board to consider a land swap that would put its planned new athletics complex farther away from a proposed jail at 1901 E Grand and closer to his campus if the county decides to build there.

The land swap idea, currently being pursued by Commissioner Myles Davidson, was disclosed this week by a Jan. 30 letter Crooked Oak Public Schools Superintendent Bradley M. Richards sent to each of the commissioners.

In the letter and during an interview Friday, Richards stressed his district does not support 1901 E Grand as a future jail location.

But if the county decides to build there, Richards said he believes Crooked Oak Public Schools and other potential neighbors should at least attempt to improve the areas where they live, work and go to school.

"Much like every other person in Oklahoma County, we would not wish to have a jail in our backyard; however, we can see that a need for a new site is imminent," Richards wrote. "Furthermore, we understand the 1901 E Grand site seems to best fit the criteria of all other options.

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"Therefore, Crooked Oak Schools would consider an even land swap for our (planned) sports complex, with detailed contingencies to be discussed. We believe that not only could a land swap provide a sports facility in closer ... to our campus, but ... could also bring other improvements to our community," he wrote.

Proposed swap involves school district, county and Oklahoma City, commissioner says

Davidson proposes to ask his colleagues to consider buying the 1901 Grand location from Willowbrook Investments LLC and Garrett & Co. Resources LLC for $5.42 million as its jail location, plus purchase 30 acres at 1100 S Eastern Ave. currently being offered for sale by Allen Contracting Inc.

Davidson said informal discussions about costs to acquire Allen Contracting's land have been held, but did not reveal what it would cost Friday.

Once those purchases are made, Oklahoma County would ask Crooked Oak Public Schools, which already owns land near SE 22 and Eastern Avenue, where it wants to build its new fields, to transfer ownership of its current athletics fields (on land adjacent to that location) to Oklahoma County in exchange for the Allen Contracting land.

Oklahoma County, in turn, would seek to transfer ownership of Crooked Oak's current athletics fields to Oklahoma City, if it were to agree to give the county land on SE 22, between the Crooked Oak land and the proposed jail's location. The city owns and uses that land currently as a maintenance area for Trosper Park.

Through informal discussions involving Oklahoma City Councilman Todd Stone and City Manager Craig Freeman, Davidson said he also has learned Oklahoma City could consider building a crosswalk allowing Crooked Oak students to get safely from their campus to the new athletics fields.

If the deals happen as Davidson hopes, he estimates Oklahoma County would have 80 acres of land for the jail at 1901 E Grand.

New sports complex to replace one used since the 1960s

Richards said Friday his board of education has not yet been asked to approve the land swap proposal, though he did say he has informally discussed the idea with a couple of his board members and promised to keep them informed.

Until the land swap idea, Crooked Oak planned to build its new sports complex on land near SE 22 and Eastern Avenue, immediately to the east of its existing sports fields.

The new complex will replace a football field that's been used by the district since the late 1960s, and will include a new outdoor track, a turf football/soccer field, a turf-equipped softball field, new seating, a press box, concessions and related facilities, plus a new scoreboard and lighting.

Voters approved a $26.15 million bond issue to build the complex in September 2023.

Richards said he has asked the architect and contractor hired by the district to do the athletics complex work to pause the project while his district awaits Oklahoma County's decision on where a new jail will be built.

"We need to leverage and ask for as much as we possibly can" if the county chooses to build its new jail near that site, Richards said.

"Oklahoma City hasn't put much resources into that area of the community, and we might be able to use this as a jumping-off point where we can start asking how" to change that, he said.

Davidson: 'This is the best we have got so far'

Davidson said the land swap proposal, if successful, would benefit the county, the school district, Oklahoma City's Trosper Park and nearby Del City residents.

Davidson said he believes the 1901 E Grand site is "the best we have got so far," given its available infrastructure.

"The children would not be near a jail, and wouldn't have to take a bus to go to their home football games anymore," he said, adding it also would move Crooked Oak's athletics fields away from one of Oklahoma City's largest encampments of homeless residents.

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Plus, Davidson said he is working on plans with the district to add school resource officers (positions filled by off-duty deputies) to its staff.

If the jail were to be built at 1901 E Grand, Davidson said it could include an Oklahoma County sheriff's office substation that also could be used by Oklahoma City police to boost the presence of law officers across the area.

"Oklahoma County is the pivot in this deal, because it is a three-party deal with Oklahoma City on one side and Crooked Oak on the other," Davidson said. "We also have to be the person that solves all of the issues."

When asked about ongoing discussions between Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County, the city's manager confirmed they are ongoing.

"City leaders are committed to working closely with the county to find a suitable location," Freeman said.

News about the letter traveled quickly among Del City leaders who have argued repeatedly against locating the jail at the Grand Boulevard location.

Gina Standridge, a member of the Midwest City-Del City School Board, said the discussions should be held in a public setting.

"Myles Davidson has them convinced it is going there one way or another, so they better take what they can get," she said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County commissioner proposes land swap for new jail