This 10,000-square-foot Missouri jail will change into an Airbnb

Real Estate

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By Mary K. Jacob

March 2, 2023 | 4:34pm

You better “lock” in your reservation.

A 10,000-square-foot jail in Missouri went up for sale last month — and has already scored a buyer who plans to turn the property into the ultimate entertainment site, including a short-term guest stay.

Listed for $195,000, the former Cass County Missouri Law Enforcement Center and Detention Center/Jail has not been used for more than 20 years.

“It’s been used as storage with the county and has been vacant,” Paula Voss, who holds the listing, told The Post.

“It was sold at auction two years ago and that’s when the seller picked it up. And then they had intentions of making it residential. But they decided, ‘Hey, I think we are going to go ahead and try and sell it.’ ”

The new owner is an out-of-state investor, and Voss adds they have plans turn the property into several “income-producing opportunities, from an Airbnb to a retail space, to an apartment complex.”

“We intend to operate the jail as a jail-themed entertainment,” the unidentified prospective owner said in a statement.

The new owner is also looking for partners to join in on his idea.

Built in 1960, the building stands on a half-acre corner lot, at 208 W. Pearl St.

Out of the 10,000 square feet, the building has 5,300 square feet of office space, with “a very secure fenced lot at the rear of the property.”

But the town grew and needed a much bigger facility, which has since been built five minutes away from the old jail.

“It’s a really big facility,” Voss said. “But Harrisonville’s intention is to really upgrade and improve their historical square area. And this jail that’s for sale is right off of the square.”

“So in the past couple years, that’s seeing a lot of growth and a lot of turnover and people improving buildings and restaurants coming in.”

The seller has extensively cleaned the jail and repainted the exterior.

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Features include 34 cells featuring toilets and sinks.

It was also a site for the film “Solitary Confinement,” set to be released on Amazon soon, about a man having to figure out how to cope days in solitary confinement.

“I’ve had over 350 inquiries on the property,” Voss said. “It’s been way more than I ever expected. But it’s been good. And I think it’s what’s really good for the town. I grew up there. So it makes me happy to see that someone’s gonna go in there to a vacant building and make improvements.”