Members of public protesting proposed Manhattan facility. Image Credit: John McCarten/City Council
Council received extensive testimony and differing perspectives on Borough Based Jails. On September 5, 2019, City Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses held a public hearing regarding the City’s application to close Rikers Island and create a Borough Based Jail System. The proposed sites are 124-125 White Street in Manhattan, 745 East 141St Street in the Bronx, 126-02 82nd Avenue in Queens and at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
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Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announces Operation Urban Sustainability on Earth Day. Image credit: Queens Borough President’s Office/Twitter.
On April 22, 2022, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced the start of Operation Urban Sustainability, a group that will consist of borough and city leaders in sustainability and resiliency who will work together to guide environmental initiatives in Queens. In recent years, Queens has seen devastating flooding, including last year’s Hurricane Ida, where dangerous flash flooding killed thirteen people, mostly in Queens. The announcement is part of a growing response on a borough and citywide level to address environmental concerns and protect New Yorkers. (more…)
Department of Design and Construction Logo Image Credit: DDC
Design-build teams have already been selected to handle the demolition of structures on the current sites. On December 29, 2021, the Department of Design and Construction announced that six teams have been approved to develop detailed proposals for the design and construction of four smaller borough-based jails in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The borough-based jails project aims to replace the facilities on Rikers Island permanently with smaller jails that will allow for populations to remain closer to families, community, and legal representation. The jails will be built through the design-build model where the firm provides both design and construction services. For CityLand’s prior coverage of the borough-based jails project, click here. (more…)
Manhattan District Attorney-Elect Alvin Bragg. Image Credit: CityLand.
Today, December 3, 2021, Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney-Elect, spoke at the 176th CityLaw Breakfast. Professor Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law provided opening remarks. President and Dean of New York Law School Anthony W. Crowell held a conversation with District Attorney-Elect Bragg. This Breakfast was sponsored by ConEdison, Greenberg Traurig, and Verizon, and co-sponsored by the Wilf Impact Center for Public Interest Law and the Criminal Justice Institute. This was the tenth virtual CityLaw Breakfast as in-person events are not feasible at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)
Construction on the Queens site parking lot began in June. Image Credit: DDC.
These teams will prepare the site for construction and enable court operations to continue for the duration of construction. On November 30, 2021, the Department of Design and Construction announced that four separate teams had been selected to receive design-build contracts to prep the sites of the new Borough-Based Jails. The Borough Based Jails project will build smaller jails in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn to allow for the eventual closure of Rikers Island to address crowding, safety and quality of life issues. The controversial project was approved in 2019. For CityLand’s previous coverage of the borough-based jails project, click here. (more…)
