New misleading jail designs shared with the media, not the Chinatown community
WELCOME TO CHINATOWN & NEIGHBORS UNITED BELOW CANAL EXPRESSES OUTRAGE OVER NYC DDC’S FAILURE TO CONSULT COMMUNITY ON MANHATTAN BOROUGH BASED JAIL DESIGN PLANS
The Chinatown community is shocked and deeply disappointed by the New York City Department of Design and Construction’s (DDC) recent decision to unveil design plans for the proposed Manhattan Borough Based Jaill to local media without first consulting the community that will be most impacted. This move comes despite years of our community’s and elected officials’ efforts to engage with DDC and other city agencies in good faith and ensure that Chinatown residents' and small businesses’ concerns are addressed transparently and represented in the decision-making process.
We have tirelessly called for a seat at the decision-making table on this project, which, in its current form, threatens to have long-lasting and damaging effects on our community. The DDC’s decision to bypass meaningful engagement with Chinatown residents and our elected representatives demonstrates a continued blatant disregard for the unique needs of the community and undermines the trust we have sought to build.
Welcome to Chinatown and other community stakeholders have continuously raised concerns about the viability of the Manhattan Borough-Based Jail in its current plan due to the site’s complications, including scale, access, soil, and health risks. Despite presenting these concerns to numerous stakeholders, including the Lippman Commission, and reiterating the need for transparency in the process, DDC and the city have chosen to blatantly disregard our more than reasonable requests.
We are shocked to learn from the media that the Manhattan Borough-Based Jail has an updated budget of $3.7 billion and an expected completion date of 2032. This is a drastic difference from the originally proposed budget of $1.7 billion and completion by 2027.
The City continues to push an unsustainable plan without acknowledging how it will close Rikers by 2027. Further, the proposed renders are intentionally misleading to the public:
Light-colored façade: Renderings make 75% of the building look pale and sky-colored to reduce its appearance as a monolithic wall. The glass will look black during the day, and the stone/metal façade will appear heavier and more solid.
False arcade impression: The renderings attempt to mimic European shopping arcades with large skylights, but in reality, a 300+ foot building will be overhead, meaning the arcade will be dark and cavernous.
Artificial lighting misrepresentation: The video depicts artificial lights as natural skylights, creating a misleading impression.
Unrealistic greenery: The trees in the renderings are unlikely to achieve the lush growth depicted in the video.
Tunnel misrepresentation: The tunnel is rendered to appear surprisingly short, when in reality, it stretches 250 feet long.
These renderings deliberately manipulate perspectives, materials, and lighting to give the public a false impression of the building’s design, scale, and atmosphere.
Welcome to Chinatown and Neighbors United Below Canal call on DDC and city leadership to immediately halt further steps on the Manhattan Borough Based Jail until our community and elected officials are given the opportunity to review and provide input on the design plans. We remain committed to ensuring that the voices of Chinatown residents are not just considered, but meaningfully incorporated into the decision-making process.
We urge all concerned community members, stakeholders, and elected officials to stand with us in demanding accountability and transparency from the city.
Anyone interested in reviewing the current construction contract between the City and Tutor Perini Contractor should email BBJ inbox: NYCBBJ@ddc.nyc.gov. DDC ACCO team will review and respond if anyone wants to review the contract this week. Interested parties schedule a 2-hour window at the DDC office, no phones allowed, no cameras, etc. to review the construction contract until January 31 2025.
DDC office is located in: Queens Atrium Corporate Center
