Fresno Unified has plans to demolish the building at Tenth and Ventura and add a state of the art education facility.
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"As you see its three city blocks long. There's no place landlocked in the city where I could purchase this much land to put a school without imminent domain. And we don't want move residents out of the communities that they grew up," said Superintendent Bob Nelson.
The plan is tear down the empty building and replace it with what the district is calling an *alternative* high school or urban academy.
"Sometimes mainline school doesn't work for everybody but we don't want that to be the end of their education. We intend to staff this school with people who intend on capturing the hearts of kids and bringing them in," said Superintendent Nelson.
The Fresno Unified Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the building from the county for $1.2 million during a board meeting Wednesday night.
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Fresno County has owned the property since the 1800's.
"It has been years in the making to take the old juvenile hall and turn it into something that this neighborhood can truly be proud of once again," said Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero.
If the board approves the plan, early projections have demolition of the old jailhouse to begin next summer.