Local business owner says new jail may have positive impact
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 15, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/ETHAN SMITH
Construction on the new Carey Winders Detention Center began in 2015, on the lot directly behind In-And-Out convenience store.
Things will be business as usual for In-And-Out convenience store, located at 1022 N. William St., when the new Carey Winders Detention Center opens directly behind it.
Store owner Amir Khamaiseh said he believes the jail opening behind his business will improve things for his store, and will not negatively impact the business in any way.
"I'm not worried about the jail," Khamaiseh said. "It will probably increase our business because you'll have probably two to three hundred employees at the jail going back and forth, and you'll have the family of inmates and sheriff's office employees coming in and out also."
Khamaiseh said he is planning on making several improvements to his business as the construction of the new detention center progresses.
He said he will be looking to renovate the outside of his business to give it a fresh look, and is considering installing a kitchen in the store to provide food for customers, also.
In-And-Out convenience store has been at its current location for anywhere from 15 to 20 years, and Khamaiseh said he took over ownership of the business approximately three years ago.
And while Khamaiseh said he does not have an issue with the new detention center going up behind his business, he said he was not told it would be happening or ever notified of plans for its construction.
His first notification of the detention center's construction was when construction crews broke ground on the site for what will be a $10 million project.
"They didn't even tell us about it until they started construction," Khamaiseh said. "It's not something that will hurt us, but they should have at least talked to us about it."
Construction on the detention center began in July 2015.
The 38,500-square-foot, single-story, 221-bed jail is being built on the site where Masons department store was formerly located before it shut its doors.
The new detention center's name -- the Carey Winders Detention Center -- is a nod of remembrance to former Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders, who served as sheriff for nearly 20 years before dying unexpectedly of a heart attack at 57 years old in January 2014.
This detention center is only the first phase of what will become a larger judicial center. Plans for the site include schematics for the construction of a larger jail to be constructed behind the new detention center. Both the Carey Winders Detention Center and the eventual new and larger jail will have a connection built between them to join up the two detention centers.
Construction on the Carey Winders Detention Center is expected to be complete by Nov. 2016.
Khamaiseh said he hopes that his business and the new detention center will form a mutually beneficial relationship once it opens.
"I'm hoping this will work for everybody and I hope it will benefit everyone," Khamaiseh said. "I think it will benefit them by being next to us, and I think it will benefit us by bringing more business and traffic to us."