CLEVELAND — Opponents of the proposed new Cuyahoga County jail site in Garfield Heights made their final plea to keep the jail in downtown Cleveland.

But now the council has voted to buy vacant land in Garfield Heights for the new facility.

“It’s been five years in deliberation, and this administration in the first nine months got to a site we agreed to," County Executive Chris Ronayne said. 

But the vote wasn’t unanimous. Three members voted against the site, including councilwoman Sunny Simon, who argued that the county should have approved both buying the land and finding the funding for the building, instead of voting for only one of them.

“I understand we want something done, but we shouldn’t do something without all the pieces together," Simon said. 

Ronayne said the price tag is around $750 million for the new facility. Simon attempted to put the funding sources up for a vote, which would be to extend the county’s sales and use tax. Council President Pernel Jones Jr. and seven other council members voted to put the proposed funding sources back in committee.

“I’m giving the administration the opportunity to continue to educate and advocate to this body, the structure," Jones Jr. said. "And then we will have a vote”

The County Council earmarked almost $39 million for buying the 72 acres of vacant land. That money would come out of the general fund and from funds from the American Rescue Plan.

“They didn’t just fall in love with Garfield Heights for Garfield Heights," said Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke. "They fell in love with this piece of property being clean ready to go. You don’t have to remediate.”

The County Council will debate the potential funding sources for the jail at their next meeting, which is in two weeks.