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It has been nearly two years since Tulsa County voters approved a 0.041 percent sales tax to build and operate a new juvenile justice center.

On Wednesday, a $40 million bond issue to build the center was finally authorized.

Officials, though, say the authorization by the Tulsa County Industrial Authority was primarily to take advantage of favorable interest rates, and does not indicate the search for a site is at an end.

“It’s taken a terribly long time to find a piece of land that’s suitable,” County Commissioner Karen Keith said.

“Never,” Keith replied when asked if she thought it would take so long to find one.

“We have had several very nice offers from folks, but they’re just not close enough to downtown,” Keith said. “We’ve had a lot of options, but we’re more interested in finding the best location possible.”

Several times, Keith and others associated with the project thought they had a site identified, only to be blocked. One was nixed because it was too near the Tulsa Jail. The Laura Dester Center in northeast Tulsa was examined and deemed unsuitable. A location north of downtown encountered insurmountable neighborhood opposition.