County and city officials have one last hurdle to clear before the Muskogee County Regional Juvenile Detention Center can be relocated.

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said he will research the laws surrounding the property, which is owned by the county, before officials decide the best course of action. County commissioners plan to sell the property on West Shawnee Bypass, which is in the heart of an expanding business center.

City Manager Greg Buckley said Monday one developer submitted an intent letter for the property, but other developers with intent provide for the best opportunity for the county.

What is not clear is whether adjacent property owners have “the right of first refusal” to the property. That law allows adjacent property owners the right to match the price an interested party would want to pay for the property.

District 1 Commissioner Gene Wallace said finding a true value of the property shouldn’t be too hard. They know the value of the building, he said.

“The abstract is what the value of the property around the building is,” Wallace said.

The idea behind the proposed relocation is to spur economic development along the West Shawnee Bypass corridor. The detention facility lies within an area targeted by the city for urban renewal.

The 10-bed facility was built in the 1980s by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in a relatively undeveloped part of town. In 1995, the Office of Juvenile Affairs was created as an agency separate from DHS and assumed oversight of the state’s regional system of juvenile detention facilities.

Wallace said county officials will submit a plan and a letter to the Office of Juvenile Affairs later this week.

The most likely option is a land swap with the city for a parcel more suitable for the juvenile detention center. Another option would be expanding Muskogee County/City Detention Facility to include separate accommodations for juveniles.

Areas mentioned Monday included property east of the Muskogee Police Department and property west of U.S. 69 on Border Avenue.

Commissioners are hoping they can transfer the property on Shawnee to Muskogee’s Urban Renewal Authority. That would make the process much smoother, Wallace said.

Reach Mike Carrels at (918) 684-2922 or mcarrels

@muskogeephoenix.com.