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Medford prison remains on hold But state now owns Stimpson Gulch site By JIM DAVIS State prison officials have completed the purchase of 319 acres northeast of Medford for a 1,600-bed, medium-security prison. The prison is still on hold indefinitely, and plans could change before any construction starts, said Bobbi Burton, the state Department of Corrections community development manager. She said what is eventually built there will depend on the state's needs and the mix of its prison population. "By the time we get there, it may be that we need another minimum-security prison," Burton said. The state purchased the Stimpson Gulch site, which is about five miles northeast of Medford, roughly between Foothill Road and the end of Kershaw Road. The land was part of a ranch owned by Harold Looney. The sale was completed on Feb. 10. State officials negotiated a price of $865,000. The price was based on two appraisals of the property -- one by the state that valued the land at $750,000 and one paid for by Looney that put the value at nearly $1 million. Burton said the state is now building a 1,600-bed, medium-security prison in Umatilla and is trying to build a women's prison near Wilsonville, although that project is tied up by opponents. The state has plans for four more prison sites at Lakeview, Junction City, Madras and Medford. Burton said Medford was scheduled to get a 400-bed, minimum-security work camp sometime in the next five years. But she said Medford was moved to the end of the list last year when Medford was swapped with Junction City. Burton said Junction City community leaders wanted the prison built earlier and Jackson County commissioners were agreeable to the change. Junction City Administrator Roberta Likens said the proposed prison in her community is set at the end of an industrial area that does not have water lines or other utilities. By bringing in the prison, Likens said, the industrial area will get those services, making that area economically viable. "I believe the community sees it as a good step for economic development," she said. The state now has 12 prisons housing 9,168 men and women. The state has forecast that the prison population will grow to 14,557 inmates by January 2009. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA