Pennsylvania Architect to Suggest New Uses for Texas Jail

Commissioners in McLennan County turned to Pennsylvania-based architecture firm IKM Inc. to determine the future of a former jail in downtown Waco, TX. The former lock-up 501 Washington Ave. has not had prisoners since 2010, since the Jack Harwell Detention Center opened at 3010 Marlin Hwy. All five floors were decommissioned this year.

Scott Felton, McLennan County judge, told the Waco Tribune that county engineer Zane Dunnam suggested IKM, given the architect’s experience in renovating shuttered jails and government buildings. He added that the old Waco jail is structurally sound, but the commissioner’s court needs to consider potential uses and estimated costs.

Meanwhile, Precinct 4 Commissioner Ben Perry told the Waco Tribune that turning the space into parking had been mentioned but “it was not designed to handle that kind of weight.”

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