Urgent: Pause the Mega Jail Demolition & Call for Adaptive Reuse!
We are urging the Adams Administration to put an immediate pause to demolition of the existing Manhattan Detention Center and reimagine this project utilizing adaptive reuse- the safer, more humane, and more cost-effective solution.
In 2017, Mayor Deblasio approved an $8.3 billion borough based jail program to replace Rikers Island by 2027. The plan would demolish the existing Manhattan Detention Complexes to create a new 40 story jail, known as the Mega Jail, in Chinatown, but the current plan is not working:
A 2019 impact statement identified ramifications including environment, air, and noise pollution, and unstable soil and water levels beneath the Manhattan Detention Center.
Demolition could destabilize and lead to the collapse of nearby existing structures.
The City lacks a critical assessment to fully measure the Chinatown Mega Jail's impacts. There is a strong risk the Mega Jail will exceed the original budget & timeline while threatening the welfare and safety of detainees, the local communities, and the public at large.
The recently announced contract to design-and-build the Brooklyn Borough Based Jail would be completed two years after the required deadline and at a cost of $3 billion - well over budget.
A contractor still has not been hired to design-and-build the Mega Jail, adding to the risk the Mega Jail will exceed the original budget and timeline.
Adaptive reuse is the repurposing of buildings that have outlived their original purpose. It provides a faster, safer, greener, and less costly path to meet the New York City’s goals under the Borough Based Jail program.
Studies have shown that adaptive reuse projects can realize cost savings of up to 20% while shortening timelines.
Adaptive reuse is more sustainable by reducing waste, pollution, and the need for materials.
Voice your support for pausing demolition and supporting adaptive reuse of the existing Manhattan Detention Center!
We've made it easy to contact the Adams' Administration and your local Councilmember:
Visit stop-chinatown-jail.glitch.me to send your letter via email in just a few clicks.
