New York City's plan to replace the Rikers Island jail complex with four borough-based facilities has encountered substantial cost increases and schedule setbacks. The project, initially budgeted at approximately $8.7 billion, has ballooned to an estimated $16 billion and is now expected to be completed by 2032, at least five years beyond the City Council's legislated deadline of 2027 for closing Rikers.
Mayor Eric Adams' administration acknowledged in early summer that the 2027 target for closing Rikers Island is unattainable. Dana Kaplan, the city's "Close Rikers Czar," stated in June that the city is "not on track to meet that timeline" and that numerous steps are required to achieve the ultimate closure of the facility.
Project Timeline and Challenges
The law mandating the closure of Rikers and the development of borough-based jails was approved in 2019, with each new facility planned to accommodate about 4,100 beds. However, the projected opening dates for the new jails have been pushed back. The first facility, located in Brooklyn at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, is now slated to open no earlier than 2029. This date is two years after the legally mandated closure of Rikers.
Construction has commenced at all four proposed jail sites. In Brooklyn, the structural framework for the 15-story jail has been completed. However, residents near the Brooklyn site have reported issues with construction debris. In Manhattan, community leaders in Chinatown have voiced concerns about the proposed jail's location on Centre Street, citing potential risks of ground sinking and endangering adjacent buildings.
The Manhattan jail is scheduled for completion in 2032, while the facilities in The Bronx and Queens are expected to be finished the year prior. Early construction work has begun on these sites as well.
Rikers Island Status
Despite the ongoing development of new facilities, Rikers Island continues to house a significant inmate population. In late June, the North Infantry Command facility at Rikers was permanently closed, with over 200 inmates requiring medical care transferred to a unit at Bellevue Hospital. Currently, an estimated 6,500 individuals are held at Rikers.
City officials have indicated that a comprehensive, government-wide approach is necessary to advance the project and eventually close Rikers. The City Council's Criminal Justice Chair, Selvena Brooks-Powers, has previously suggested that new legislation may be required to address the discrepancy between the current Rikers closure deadline and the staggered opening of the new borough-based facilities.