Jail Plan For Lower Manhattan Stuns Chinatown Advocates

CHINATOWN, NY — The city announced plans last week to build a new jail at 80 Centre Street, stunning local leaders that the de Blasio administration may be abandoning a proposal to expand the Manhattan Detention Center as part of a scheme to shutter Rikers Island.

Elected officials and residents criticized the mayor's office for a lack of community engagement before unveiling plans to retrofit 80 Centre Street, which houses the city's Marriage Bureau, into a high-rise jail. The announcement came two weeks after city officials surprised community leaders with the Centre Street option during a closed-door meeting.

One elected official slammed the city for cutting the community out of the conversation.

“Time and time again, we have seen the Mayor completely ignore the voices of our community. A whole new site was selected without any prior notice to our community," said Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, whose district includes 80 Centre Street and who called for an "urgent community meeting" on Aug.15 at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in response to the proposal.

"As the plan to close Rikers Island proceeds, I am enraged by the fact that once again we are left in the dark as critical decisions are made behind closed doors," Niou continued.

The Centre Street site is among four proposed for as many boroughs to replace Rikers Island by 2027 with plans to build new lockups in Mott Haven, Kew Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. Eighty Centre Street takes up an entire city block bounded by Centre and Baxter streets, and Hogan Place and Worth Street.

Building plans are still in the early stages, but the prison could rise to 40 stories under current zoning and accommodate 1,510 inmates with on-site programming, court-related facilities and a yet to be determined community facility, according to project documents.

City reports reviewing the proposals were released with the project's announcement, which New Yorkers can submit written comment on through Oct. 15. The plan must go through the lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Procedure with the first of several public meetings on the Lower Manhattan location set for Sept. 27, but some local leaders feel the city is moving too quickly and overlooked community feedback when selecting the proposed location.

“Like me, many people in my community have not been given the opportunity to fully have our voices at the table," said Justin Yu, the executive director of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. "I ask that the City electeds work with our community and create a fairer and more transparent process."

Other residents who felt they didn't get a say in the proposal went a step further and signed a petition against placing a jail in the area, citing congestion, and noise and air pollution. Some 500 people have signed the four-day old petition.

Councilwoman Margret Chin, whose district includes the Centre Street site, called on the city for greater "transparency" and to lead "several Town Hall meetings in District 1 that will allow residents, small business owners and community leaders to have a say in future redevelopment plans."

The proposal's review process will culminate in a vote by City Council, where lawmakers are expected to follow the councilwoman's lead.

“It’s crucial that the Administration participate in a robust community engagement process, which must begin with full transparency about the proposal to move the Manhattan Detention Center from its current location to 80 Centre Street," said Chin, who has been a vocal supporter of closing Rikers Island.

A city spokeswoman said the administration has held meetings "with community groups and local elected officials and conducted focus groups with facility staff, service providers, defenders, educators, formally detained people and families of justice-involved people, among others" ahead of the project's announcement, noted Patrick Gallahue, a spokesman for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

Gallahue did not name the specific groups and officials the city consulted.

"We have made clear that this is only the beginning," said Gallahue in a statement to Patch. "Engagement with the community will accelerate and build in the weeks and months ahead and there will be myriad opportunities for neighborhood leaders and residents to provide feedback."

The first public meeting on the proposal is set for Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Manhattan Borough President’s office, 1 Centre Street on the 19th floor.

A conceptual design of the new jail proposed for 80 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan. (Image courtesy of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Office)