Sugar Land locks down old prison grounds

SUGAR LAND – The city council has unanimously approved the purchase of 258 acres at the closed Central Unit prison facility at SH 6 and SH 90 for nearly $6 million.

The city plans to build a public safety center on 22 acres there, while 121 acres will be reserved for a potential business park. Additionally, 95 acres would be used for access and development for the Sugar Land Regional Airport, which could include a taxiway and extra hangars. The remaining acres are undevelopable wetlands.

Although the city will clear 96 buildings from the site, it will not modify the main prison building, which was designated a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark in 2003. Central Unit prison facility opened in 1909 and closed in 2011.

The land is owned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice until the city takes over. The deal is expected to finalize  July 29.​