Six design-and-build teams have been shortlisted by New York City’s mayor’s office and the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) to build four jails to replace the Rikers Island facility for people held on remand, which is due to close in 2027.
The four facilities will be built in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, and will hold no more than 3,300 detainees each.
Those in the running for the contracts are:
- Brooklyn: Two joint ventures, one led by Lendlease and Halmar International, the other containing Tutor Perini Corporation
- The Bronx: A team led by contractors Sciame Construction and SLSCO are competing with a team led by Cauldwell Wingate
- Manhattan: A joint venture between Gilbane Building Company and the Alberici Corporation
- Queens: Leon D DeMatteis Construction
The teams will each create a request for proposals for their site, which will be judged by jail managers and DDC’s construction professionals.
The four developments are expected to cost a total of $8.2bn and are planned to be completed by the time the notorious Rikers site closes. The conditions for prisoners there have been constantly scrutinised, with a 2021 story in The Guardian reporting that 12 inmates had died in the past year in what it described as a “humanitarian crisis”.
Tom Foley, DCC’s acting commissioner, said: “We had an exceptional response from the industry given the size and scope of this programme.
“The response gives us further confidence that we will be able to deliver on the promise of a more humane justice system for New York City, on-time and on-budget. We were particularly impressed with the teams’ commitment to the values and goals of the Borough Based Jails programme.”
Marcos Soler, director of the mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, said: “The city’s commitment to closing Rikers Island permanently has never wavered. This crucial step in the construction process is a testament to the hard work, determination and professional focus of the Borough-Based Jail team. “Soon New Yorkers will see active construction work throughout the city as we move ever-closer towards a new, improved justice system for all
Comments
Comments are closed.
What are they going to build in Rikers Island condos for the rich