State Rep. Mike Hoadley recently reintroduced legislation to transfer state-owned property in Arenac County owned by the state of Michigan to a bidder at fair market value.

House Bill 4011 will allow the Department of Management, Technology and Budget (DTMB) to transfer ownership of the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility through a competitive method of sale.

The Standish Maximum Correctional Facility was a maximum-security prison with five 88-bed housing units and another unit comprising of 164 beds. The facility opened in 1990 and was occupied for 19 years until October 2009 when it was announced the facility would be closed.

The facility now is vacant, and a series of recent break-ins have only led to additional issues. Instead of continued inaction and a blighted site, Hoadley said the property could be retrofitted by a new owner to meet various potential needs – including increased mental health care for residents.

“The bill will help ensure the region and interested parties can repurpose the vacant Standish prison under the law,” Hoadley said. “Ultimately, the property is just sitting there. Whenever we can take an existing property and repurpose it, it keeps our area vibrant while providing the potential for additional services and job opportunities. With bipartisan support for this plan upon introduction and with DTMB and the state Department of Corrections both being supportive, I am hopeful we can move it forward and bring a resolution to the site that is long overdue.”

When state departments list state property as surplus, the Legislature is required to provide authorization before that property is transferred out of state possession. At one time, the Department of Corrections considered the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility as a prime asset. However, this is currently not the case.

Hoadley introduced the legislation during the previous term, and although it received a committee hearing and passed on a unanimous vote, previous leadership chose to not take up the bill for a vote from the full House. HB 4011 was referred to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.