NEW YORK | Jail Tower (125 White St) | 295 FT | FLOORS

[NYguy]

I know people in New York will live anywhere, but I personally wouldn't want any part of this.


https://archpaper.com/2018/08/new-york-city-jail-tower/

Jail tower proposed by New York City officials





By JONATHAN HILBURG
August 6, 2018

As part of the plan to close Rikers Island by redistributing inmates to smaller jails across four of the five boroughs, the Daily News reports that city officials are looking to build a 40-story jail tower at 80 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan.

Perkins Eastman, along with 17 subcontractors, has been tapped to redesign the smaller community-oriented jails in each borough and orient the new developments toward a rehabilitative model. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office had released a list of preferred community-chosen locations in each borough back in February, but ran into opposition with their sites in the Bronx.

Now the plan for the Manhattan location appears to have changed as well, as the city is looking to top the nine-story 80 Centre Street with a jail tower that could contain affordable housing.

The initial location in Manhattan, an expansion of the Manhattan Detention Complex at 125 White Street, was deemed infeasible for the number of inmates that would need to be housed.

If the jail tower moves forward–80 Centre St. is one of two sites under consideration–the 700,000-square-foot Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building would be gutted and the preserved facade would serve as the tower’s base. The granite, art deco building is currently home to the marriage bureau, and was completed in 1930 and designed by William Haugaard; according to the city’s official building description, Haugaard kept the building squat to avoid casting shadows on the nearby courthouses and Foley Square.

The jail’s vertical shape would mean that men and women would need to be separated on different floors, as would the hospital area, outdoor space, recreation areas, and classrooms.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-metro-jail-worth-20180802-story.html

The plan was unveiled by mayoral aides at a hush-hush meeting with community leaders Thursday.

The block-long building adjacent to Foley Square would be totally gutted, sources said. The historic nine-story art-deco structure would serve as a base for a much bigger building that could reach 40 stories, according to sources.

The Mayor’s office confirmed to The News that it’s serious about using the site.

“We are considering two potential options for a facility in Manhattan as part of our plan to close Rikers Island, and are engaging with the community to gather input,” said mayoral spokeswoman Natalie Grybauskas.

The new jail may also include affordable housing apartments, according to community leaders who were briefed on the proposal.

The 80 Centre St. building is a change-up from the city’s prior plan to expand its existing lower Manhattan jail, the Manhattan Detention Complex, also known as The Tombs.

But jail officials have now determined the complex on 125 White St. is too small.

Currently, 80 Centre St., named the Louis J. Lefkowitz Office Building after the former New York State Attorney General, holds offices for the Manhattan District Attorney and several other government agencies. It has 700,000 square feet of space.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents the area, said she encouraged the city to set aside a portion of land for affordable housing when The Tombs were expanded in the 1980s. She’s pressing for the same this time.

“Today, we are presented with an opportunity to take the rest of that land back to create more affordable housing, cultural amenities and much needed parking for Chinatown,” Chin said in statement. “We must maximize this opportunity by ensuring that all voices are heard as part of this process.”