New York City proposed on Thursday a new contract for building the Manhattan borough-based jail to replace Rikers Island that extends the facility’s construction timeline five years beyond the mandated 2027 closure date for the jail complex.
The jail — which is planned to rise at 124-125 White St. in Chinatown, on the former site of “The Tombs” — will also have increased capacity with 154 more beds than initially proposed, bringing the total number of beds to 1,040. The nearly $3.8 billion contract was awarded by the city Department of Design and Construction to Tutor Perini O & G Industries.
The new contract means that the city has now extended construction timelines for all four borough-based jails past the August 2027 Rikers closure deadline, mandated by the 2019 plan to close Rikers, making it highly unlikely the facility will actually shutter by that date. Last May, new contracts were approved for the Queens and Bronx borough-based jails that extended their construction timelines to 2031, while the Brooklyn facility’s contract runs to 2029.
Mayoral spokesperson Liz Garcia, in a statement, said the administration “remains committed” to closing Rikers and opening the borough-based jails. She raised doubts about the city’s ability to close the jail complex on time, while reiterating that his administration will “follow the law.”
“While the Adams administration will always follow the law, it has become painfully clear that the plan approved under the last administration leaves open serious questions about the city’s ability to keep New Yorkers safe,” Garcia said. “As Mayor Adams has said, we cannot be so idealistic that we’re not realistic about the timeline and cost of closing Rikers while also protecting public safety.”
Gracia added that the length of the contract terms does not necessarily mean that the jails will be constructed in that time. She said the city is working to find ways to expedite the construction timelines.
In the past, Mayor Adams has suggested the City Council pass an alternative plan for closing Rikers, something to which Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has not been receptive. Early last year, Adams’ Budget Director Jacques Jiha said, “We know it’s not going to happen by 2027″ regarding closing the complex due to the increased population on Rikers.
The contract drew swift rebukes from criminal justice advocates.
Darren Mack, co-director of criminal justice advocacy group Freedom Agenda, said the new control shows that Adams is “making no effort” to follow the law regarding closing Rikers by 2027.
“With a blueprint already in place for the borough jail designs, there is no conceivable reason that the Manhattan jail should be completed five years after the legal deadline to shut the Rikers jails,” Mack said in a statement. “Meanwhile, New York City continues to spend billions each year on Torture Island, only to produce more trauma and violence. The Mayor keeps trying to deceive New Yorkers when it comes to closing Rikers, but we aren’t fooled.”
