{"id":7293,"date":"2026-08-24T10:07:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7293"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:07:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:07:22","slug":"exclusive-chinatown-leaders-fire-warning-shot-at-mamdani-to-try-to-sink-nyc-hi-rise-jail-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7293","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | Chinatown leaders fire warning shot at Mamdani to try to sink NYC hi-rise jail plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Chinatown leaders are urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to reconsider building a hi-rise jail in the densely populated neighborhood \u2014 saying the move could cause the ground to sink and endanger other buildings.<\/p>\n

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The proposed 16-story local \u201cjailscraper\u201d is part of a $16 billion plan to replace the Rikers Island Jail Complex with four borough-based facilities close to courthouses, a project that could be completed by 2032.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe jail site sits on the soft, waterlogged ground of the old Collect Pond,\u201d according to an Aug. 21 letter sent by 18 local leaders to the mayor, Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson, \u201cClose Rikers\u2019 Czar Dana Kaplan and City Council Speaker Julie Menin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe construction plan calls for the deepest excavation ever attempted on its site, digging well below the water table. The city\u2019s report warns that pumping out that water during construction can cause the surrounding ground to sink, and once it sinks, it does not come back,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n

The planned demolition of the Manhattan Detention Complex at 124\u2013125 White St. \u2014 and proposed towering jail reconstruction there \u2014 is also fiercely opposed by local residents, businesses and community organizations.<\/p>\n

The phase-out of Rikers for new jails was initiated by former Mayor Bill de Blasio nearly a decade ago and progressed slowly under his successor, ex-Mayor Eric Adams. It\u2019s now Mamdani\u2019s turn. <\/p>\n

The Chinatown leaders\u2019 letter stated that many older buildings surrounding the construction site also rest on century-old wooden foundations, which are sturdy only because they stay underwater. <\/p>\n

Exposing submerged wood to air would accelerate its deterioration, the leaders claimed, citing an op-ed analysis from architect William Bialosky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe buildings in the danger zone are our homes, our small businesses, the historic buildings along Baxter Street, and Chung Pak senior housing, where some of our most vulnerable neighbors live,\u201d the Chinatown reps said.<\/p>\n

But city officials last month said they are taking all necessary precautions for \u201cbuilding safely below the [water] table.\u201d<\/p>\n

A July 20by the city Department of Design and Construction, the city\u2019s major contractor Tutor Perini and the Corrections Department, among others.<\/p>\n

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The report states that a continuous underground retaining wall formed by overlapping concrete piles will provide adequate excavation support, limit ground movement and help control groundwater during deep digging.<\/p>\n

The construction officials acknowledged that managing groundwater is critical to maintaining stability and \u201cprotecting surrounding structures.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the pile walls minimize ground movement and help protect buildings adjacent to the jail site, as well as utilities and public infrastructure, the builders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly water within the excavation area is managed, minimizing impacts to the surrounding groundwater level,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy containing groundwater and excavation effects within the site, the sealed-wall method reduces risks to surrounding properties and infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Gateway Tunnel Project and other sites using such Secant piles include 100 11th Ave. in Chelsea in Manhattan, the Hudson Square Project, or Project Galaxy, for the Walt Disney Company in Manhattan, and 120 Fifth Ave. in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Throughout the ongoing demolition and dismantlement phase at the Chinatown site, residents have reported persistent dust emissions, uncovered and idling trucks and ongoing noise disruptions.<\/p>\n

The Chinatown Environmental Health Working Group reports higher particulate matter pollution levels near the construction zone.<\/p>\n

Signatories of the letter to the mayor include: Vic Lee, CEO and co-founder of Welcome to Chinatown Inc.; Vic Lee, CEO & co-founder Welcome to Chinatown Inc.; Jan Lee, co-founder of Neighbors United Below Canal; Thomas Yu, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality, and Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.<\/p>\n

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Chinatown leaders are urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to reconsider building a hi-rise jail in the densely populated neighborhood — saying the move could cause the ground to sink and endanger other buildings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nExclusive | Chinatown leaders fire warning shot at Mamdani to try to sink NYC hi-rise jail plan - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7293\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exclusive | Chinatown leaders fire warning shot at Mamdani to try to sink NYC hi-rise jail plan - 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