Former Madison Street Jail gets new life, as Maricopa County Attorney's Office

A vacant Valley jail is getting a second chance, and it potentially will save taxpayers money.

The jail at 225 west Madison has sat empty for years. As of Wednesday, it is officially being re-purposed by Maricopa County.

The decades-old Madison Street Jail building will become the new office for the Maricopa County Attorney.

The former jail was built in 1985, and has sat empty for 10 years.Officials said full demolition of the building alone would have cost $10 million, which is why they decided to renovate.

An official event was held on Wednesday, but demolition on the massive project is already underway. Work on the new office space should be complete by spring of 2019.

About a thousand people will work at the office once it is completed. Project managers said by renovating the building, the county will save about $70 million.