Plans to convert the county-owned Douglas Building on US-301 into a 3,000-bed ICE detention facility are on hold indefinitely after Bradford County commissioners declined to approve a five-year lease with the Sheriff's Office at their April 16 meeting. After months of escalating community opposition, packed commission chambers, and unresolved questions about environmental contamination beneath the property, the proposal failed to advance — at least for now.

How It Got Here

The proposal originated in January 2026, when Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith approached commissioners with a plan to lease the county-owned Douglas Building, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse on 30 acres off US-301 south of Starke, to the Sheriff's Office for use as a temporary federal immigration detention facility. Smith argued the deal would bring as many as 1,200 jobs to an area with limited economic development options and said he would maintain oversight to ensure detainees were treated humanely.

Commissioners voted 3-2 in January to allow planning to move forward, with the understanding that the full lease agreement would return for a final vote. That vote set off months of public debate that grew louder at every subsequent meeting.

Contractor Sabot Consulting, which was involved in the planning, estimated the warehouse could be converted in roughly 90 days and would be built in phases, starting with 1,000 beds before expanding to the full 3,000-bed capacity. The facility would require approval from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before any work could begin.

The Environmental Problem

Opposition to the facility found new fuel in public records showing that volatile organic compounds — VOCs — have been present in the groundwater beneath the Douglas property since at least 2012. State records indicate the contamination has spread from the warehouse site to nearly 30 surrounding properties, and a 2026 follow-up assessment found it has continued to migrate.

Critics of the proposal pointed out that state regulators had identified the need for a cleanup back in 2012 but that affected neighboring property owners were not formally notified until 2026. Community advocate Anya Griffis of Protect Rural Florida raised questions about the appropriateness of housing thousands of detainees at a site with unresolved contamination.

At the April 7 meeting, commissioners voted to extend FDEP access to the Douglas property for ongoing soil, surface water, and groundwater monitoring. That agreement extends FDEP's access regardless of who eventually occupies or leases the building — meaning any future tenant would operate alongside an active environmental investigation.

April 16: The Room Pushes Back

The April 16 commission meeting became the focal point of the opposition effort. Dozens of residents from Bradford and surrounding counties filled the Bradford County Courthouse chambers and lined up for public comment, which stretched for hours. Speakers included local residents, University of Florida students, members of the Sierra Club, and representatives from other advocacy organizations.

The tone in the room ranged from moral argument to practical concern. "We need to decide what our legacy is going to be," said Bradford resident Maria Garrett. "Do we continue down the road of hate, racism and greed, or do we choose local growth with local people and local jobs?" Others focused on logistics, pointing out that housing 3,000 detainees around the clock would require a staff of 1,200 and place significant demands on local infrastructure.

Commission Chair Carolyn Spooner made clear early in the meeting that she was not prepared to vote. "I'm puzzled. I'm frustrated," she said. "I was not expecting this to be on the agenda tonight because we are not prepared to do this." When Commissioner Chris Dougherty moved to advance the lease agreement anyway, Spooner said she had not called for a motion. The motion failed to gain the support needed to move forward.

Where Smith Stands

Sheriff Smith addressed reporters after the meeting and did not concede that the proposal was finished. A spokesperson for his office told Action News Jax that Smith views April 16 as a bump in the road rather than a final outcome. During the meeting itself, Smith told commissioners that declining the lease would likely end the ICE facility plans, but added: "After tonight I can sleep easy. I've wasted a lot of nights worrying about it."

Smith had argued throughout the process that community opposition was being driven largely by people from outside Bradford County. Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith told TV20 that only two Bradford County residents had contacted him directly with concerns about the facility over the prior six months.

What Comes Next for the Douglas Building

With the sheriff's lease off the table for now, commissioners said the Douglas Building will go back out for bids. A competing proposal has already surfaced. Local real estate agent Marty Shaw presented a letter of intent from OM Granite, a company interested in expanding its operations into an industrial park using the Douglas property and surrounding acreage off 44th Street.

Commissioners Danny Riddick and Carolyn Spooner both expressed openness to pursuing private industrial development instead. "When you think about it, we're not getting anything out of the building as it stands," Spooner said, "and if it were occupied by the detention facility, we wouldn't get anything out of it either. Let's explore this and be open to other options."

County commissioners told reporters they do not expect the ICE facility proposal to come back before the board for the rest of 2026. The FDEP contamination investigation at the site is ongoing, and any future use of the property will require disclosure of the environmental records to prospective tenants.

Bradford County News will continue to follow the Douglas Building situation and report on any new proposals or commission action as they develop.