Construction is rising on the Brooklyn Detention Complex, a 15-story jail complex at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Designed by HOK and developed by the NYC Department of Design and Construction, the 339-foot-tall structure will span 712,150 square feet with a capacity of 1,040 inmates. The project will also include 30,000 square feet of community facility space, two cellar levels, two loading berths, 100 enclosed parking spaces, and an underground tunnel connecting to the adjacent courthouse. The redevelopment will replace the defunct Brooklyn Detention Complex and is bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Place, and Smith and State Streets.
Demolition concluded on the old building since our last update in early March 2024, when work was nearing street level, and the new steel-framed superstructure has begun to rise around two concrete cores. The following photos show two tower cranes in use as the structure rises higher above ground.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
The renderings of the new Brooklyn Detention Center show two interlocking volumes with opposing cantilevers and setbacks around a cutout dubbed âthe central reveal.â The façade will consist of floor-to-ceiling glass framed by geometrically sculpted terracotta panels, and the cutout is further enhanced with bronze-hued ornamental screens. New sidewalks with trees, garden beds, and bollards will line the edges of the full-block property and the main entrance along Boerum Place.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
275 Atlantic Avenue. Designed by HOK.
The Brooklyn Detention Complex was originally built in 1957 with a maximum capacity of 815 male inmates. The property closed in 2020 and is being rebuilt as part of the plan to replace Rikers Island with modernized jail facilities in each borough except Staten Island. Each facility is expected to house up to 1,510 people.
275 Atlantic Avenue is expected to cost $3 billion and is anticipated to be completed in 2027.
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The cathedral of detention was visible from all around. A shiny beacon of…wait, I think I’m getting my messages confused.
Imagine thisâŚI worked on an EIS for this building in the mid-80s! 40 years ago to get this done! Now once itâs completed, use it for bad guys.
No amenities?
..and “expected to cost 3 billion”?..they should have a wing here set aside for real estate developers.
Yes with a gold vandal proof toilet.
Absolutely infuriating. 20 billion or so for all those new luxury detention centers for criminals and 10 billion for luxury hotels for illegals meanwhile subway is falling apart and homelessness and mentally ill are everywhere. This city sure has its priorities straight and its not the tax paying law abiding New Yorkers!
This post is all nonsense. NYC crime is at historical lows. Record low crime. The MTA is state and has zero to do with the city budget, and is extremely well funded (megabillions from congestion pricing and transit income tax alone). And criminals have to be housed somewhere. Rikers is under all kinds of court orders. The borough jails are much cheaper, long-term than housing people at Rikers. The city, by law, houses all homeless who request it. As a Brooklyn resident, I’m very happy we’re getting a nice looking, high quality building that adds to the streetscape.
If crime is at historic lows (which since I have been in NY a long time I do actually believe it is in my time) then there is LESS reason to build new expensive jails. You take prime real estate for jails? Absolute nonsense. Put that money into schools and parks and programs for youth. Violence on Rikers happens because of corrupt staff and officials. That has little to nothing to do with the physical buildings! Refurbishing Rikers is the answer and targeting corrupt staff and officials. Taking over prime real estate for new jails is absolutely a ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars. Money the city should use for important infrastructure.
That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.
What I said is exactly how jails and prisons work. I grew up with plenty of people who did time in them. The buildings have almost nothing to do with violence. Itâs almost all down to staff. Pretty and expensive new buildings will do nothing to stop inmates wanting to extort or bully other inmates. Fund after school programs to keep youngsters from getting into trouble in the first place. That will morechange culture – not shiny new jails
a) these borough based jails are not “luxury”. They may look nice in the outside for the public to enjoy, but isn’t that a good thing.
b) this isn’t an either or. Lack of subway station renovations has bupkis to do with state judicial statem capital spending, which leads to…
c) not building the borough based jails, which will save court operation money through transport costs, would just necessitate the likely same amount of investment on third world Rikers Island, which I don’t think is even remotely the correct course of action. Once Rikers is vacated, any number of publically beneficial transformations can then take place there.
Jails were put on Rikers specifically because it is hard to get to. So what âbeneficial transformationsâ can be put there? Iâm sorry but the argument is ridiculous. New buildings wonât stop violent inmates not violent guards. And transport costs? Is that a joke? You are talking as if Rikers is up in the Catskills.
New jails while the public suffers from lack of lots of infrastructure is ridiculous. New Yorkers need to visit other global cities to see how far behind our infrastructure is.
Your knowledge on this jail subject appears deficient.
I think you’re underestimating how much time and expense is used shuttling those in legal peril between Rikers and borough courthouses.
“New Yorkers need to visit other global cities to see how far behind our infrastructure is.”
I don’t disagree there, but what does this jail capital construction program have to do with the quality of city infrastructure. You know the BBJ program has nothing to do MTA, DOT, Parks, Public Buildings et al right?
“So what ‘beneficial transformations’ can be put there?”
Are you serious?
A slew of eco- recreation attractions currently unavailable in the park system, partial landfill expansion for LGA runway extension, specialized research or academic partnership conplex on western side of island, housing (yes housing), maritime facilities…
Just off the top of my head
Very serious. Those are all ridiculous because they are hard to get to. Even the far more attractive Governors Island canât make every thing out there an automatic success because itâs difficult to get to.
LGA? We canât even get a direct rail link and you are talking about expansion? Not to mention there is a little thing called crowded airspace. More nonsensical talk. The other things you listed are good but work best near already existing infrastructure. You know – like the most expensive to maintain subway system. Yeah in places like where they plan to build these jails in the 4 boroughs that they are. Jails were put on Rikers for a reason. Simple urban planning basics
Awesome news. We can finally start to see the end of Riker’s in sight with the physical progress on the borough-based jails.
it’s hilarious to me that people are criticizing this. Do you want a subpar value-engineered jail instead? That would be a recipe for long-term success! Or do you not agree with the concept of “jails” in general, let the criminals go free? Or you support the human rights catastrophe that is Riker’s? You can’t have it both ways…
Three billion for a beautiful gold detention center.
Good question đ¤Ł
It always amazes me how angry magats get when money is spent on infrastructure that doesnât directly serve them. I donât have kids but I gladly support my taxes going to public education, not private charter school businesses.
Why arenât they equally upset about more tax breaks for billionaires and trillions in subsidies to oil and gas businesses?
Big simple Me-thoughts is destroying us all.
Me too. I wouldâve loved to see every MAGAtâs dumb face when it was announced that New York City public and charter schools will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their income.
They mustâve been seething with unholy madness and thinking thatâs socialism gone amok đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Łđ
MAGA also doesnât see how the billionaires they love donât give a flying f.u¢k about them.
One doesnât have to be MAGa to see what is a waste of resources. I know plenty of people who went to jail and prison. None of them came out and said âoh it was such a nice place – I really enjoyed myselfâ. The ones who are alive and in society today are the ones who hated it and said it was a horrible place. Those who didnât mind it are back in doing another long stretch or are dead. Thatâs not MAGA talk. Itâs real life experience. Did you move to Bushwick after it gentrified? Or were you around in the 90âs when the dope fiends lined up on the sidewalk like children at an ice cream truck?
AG reminds me of someone who defended Viet Nam as noble and right and we were “winning” and that anyone who said otherwise was “unpatriotic” or worse.
Comparing what I said to Vietnam is the epitome of nonsensical thought. Not even remotely close. Iâm not an imperialist- which is what Vietnam was. That has nothing to do with wasting taxpayer money domestically. Cognitive dissonance of the highest order. Iâm apolitical precisely because I see the folly of those on the extreme left and right. Both as ridiculous as the other
How many units will be affordable?
I’m all for construction of infrastructure for any critical public project. But doesn’t anyone else believe that over $4,000 per square foot is a bit outrageous for anything short of a nuclear power plant? What am I missing?
Well, they had to tear down the old BDC. Excavate a new parking garage, bore a tunnel across the street to the courthouse, construct an entry way in the courthouse. Build a building that keeps group A in, allows group B to come and go as needed, and keeps group C out. Provides space for medical, meals, processing As in and out, visitation space, group Bs facilities, and heaven knows what else.
Not hard to spend big in NYC.
And they are not using wall board for the cells.
And those solid steel high-tech cell doors or way more expensive than masonite doors from the home depot.
Imagine if the state built public housing that looked this nice and cost $3bn? What a complete waste of money.
For those saying “what does $3bn jail have to do with subway etc… its different budgets” It’s ALL tax funded from the same place – my pocket and yours.
Peter G. Yes Singapore does public housing very well. But they also are very strict on how citizens are supposed to behave and have very low tolerance for anti social behavior. Sadly – those things canât be spoken about in this society. Then we wonder why our crime rates can never get any where close to how low Singapore is.
It’s a once a century investment designed to solve the historic wrong of the money pit and humanitarian crisis called Rikers. It will be worth it. And it’s not coming at the expense of other investments – public housing, transit or otherwise. That’s not how budgets work.
Wouldnât the NYC taxpayers have been better served by allocating $3Billion to the construction of affordable housing? We need modern jails too ⌠but we probably need affordable housing more⌠no?
Thank you deBlasio!
What does one have to do with the other?
Why build new hospitals when the people need grocery stores?
That place is being built for Black and Brown people including all the Venezuelan criminals that were released out of prisons from their country!đđ
Stay smart Archie Bunker
Wow… 270 Park Ave $3 Billion, this jail $3 Billion. More evidence of just how bad government is at managing your money. Can’t wait for city owned grocery stores.
Alright expert. Explain how you would build a rock solid unpenitrable and inescapable inmate holding bunker for cheaper. Looking forward to seeing the proof in your numbers.
“Anticipated to be completed in 2029”..long lunch breaks?
I just don’t get what appears to be over specification…those huuuuuge steel support beams are for supertalls. It’s like someone made a backroom deal to give someone a BIG job that really isn’t that large a building. Or, they did it with the future intention of someday selling it to a developer and so they could gut/add on height…lots of height…for big profit. Aside from that, it’s an awfully attractive looking detention center. The other was an eye sore, but with this design, some criminals might think, ‘oh hey, I do bad stuff and can go there for free?’ (he he)
Right, I’m sure having your expensive condos or offices built over a detention center would be a big selling point đ
Floors built out for a jail using CMU block and steel everywhere – and some floors being duplex levels – is substantially more structural load than steel studs and gypsum. It’s basic physics.
So they are spending roughly $16bn in total to build 4 new jails. That is complete insanity. Who in there right mind wants a monstrous jail in a community setting!! Maybe those of you who are supporters should living next to one of these âbig beautifulâ prisons. Like AG said, Rikers needs reform (corrupt staff) but not demolition. De blasio and crew delivered on each developers wet dream.
Ten bucks you’re AG
Well you like losing bets like you like wasting taxpayer money. Low information voter and high stakes gambling donât mix.
Confinement effects different people differently, I had a friend Morty, who served almost 20 years in Alcatraz ( he was sentenced to 30 ) when he returned to his upper West Side apt, he started writing on the walls like he had at Alcatraz. He passed away just a few months short of his 102nd birthday..
New York has become embarrassing.
Run into the ground the democrats
3 billion insulting
Itâs a chaotic mess from the subways to the deteriorating infrastructureâŚ
How’s the weather in Perm?
lmao they even splurged on the fancy scaffolding! Cant spare a penny housing our criminals!! This city has become a joke
Strange thing to complain about.
Who hurt you?