Chinatown residents and business groups sued to halt late-night construction on Manhattan's new jail at White and Centre Streets. The 335-foot jail is scheduled to open in 2032 as part of the city's effort to close Rikers Island.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on October 26, targets the expanded construction schedule set by contractors Tutor Perini and O&G Industries. Work now runs from 6 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, with deliveries beginning at 4 a.m., plus daytime Saturday work. The previous schedule allowed only standard daytime hours.
Residents describe severe impacts. Jon Alpert, a 77-year-old documentarian at 87 Lafayette Street, said in an affidavit: "The only time that I am now able to sleep with no noise or disruption is for the four hours from midnight to 4 a.m." He is recovering from metastatic prostate cancer treatment. Betty Lee, 77, and her husband, living in a rent-stabilized apartment on Baxter Street, endure "essentially daylight conditions" from floodlights in addition to noise. Ping Ai Mei, 88, living at the low-income Chung Pak senior facility, claims health issues from demolition dust.
The plaintiffs, including Welcome to Chinatown, DCTV media arts center, and Neighbors United Below Canal, argue the schedule violates state environmental law and doesn't meet legal tests for after-hours work. City records show that maintaining only weekday daytime construction would delay completion to 2034 and add $340 million to the jail's $3.9 billion cost.
Dana Kaplan, the city's "Close Rikers" czar, said the accelerated timeline serves a "moral imperative" to move incarcerated people from Rikers. City Hall spokesperson Sam Raskin said the administration will review the lawsuit claims.