THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 9, 1994 TAG: 9407090286
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Virginia Briefs
DATELINE: JONESVILLE LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved preliminary work on a federal prison project in Lee County that could begin this fall, said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th.
Boucher said at a news conference Thursday that the House last week approved a $550,000 appropriation for preliminary design and environmental work on the prison site.
The appropriation will have to be passed by the Senate, then signed by the president.
If that happens, Boucher said, the prison could be completed within three years.
The Lee County Board of Supervisors has accepted a land option to buy a property in the Hickory Flats area for the proposed prison. The federal government ruled out two other sites because of environmental concerns and the high cost of site preparation.
Once completed, the prison would employ around 300 people and bring an estimated payroll of $10 million to the county, Boucher said.
Boucher also said that, to further boost economic development in the area, he is urging the Federal Bureau of Prisons to increase the prison's size. The project could bring in as many as 500 jobs, he said. by CNB