Shop signs along Mott Street in Chinatown
Development Tracker — Chinatown & Civic Center

What's Being Built in Chinatown & the Civic Center? A $3.9 Billion Jail on White Street, the 70 Mulberry Rebuild & a New Chatham Square

Hush Street tracks what's changing in Chinatown, Little Italy's southern edge and the Civic Center: the 1,040-bed jail rising on White Street, the 70 Mulberry Street rebuild, a redesigned Chatham Square, new housing on Mott, Grand and Catherine Streets and the city's courthouse repairs.
15
Projects Tracked
1,040
Beds in the White Street Jail
$225M
For 70 Mulberry & Chatham Square
6
Approved, Not Yet Permitted
Oct. 2026
Updated
Watch → Lawsuit Over Jail Work Hours 1 Stalled Hotel Site
By Hush Street Editorial
What’s Changing
→
Chinatown residents sued over permits allowing jail construction until midnight on weekdays.Oct. 2026
→
The Chinatown Connections design for Chatham and Kimlau Squares went to Community Boards 3 and 1.Oct. 2026
→
A new-building application was filed for 188 Grand Street in Little Italy.Sep. 2026
Development Status →
Under Construction1
Permitted2
Approved, Not Yet Permitted6
Proposed or Filed4
Stalled1
Completed1
See full project list →
PROJECTS WHITE STREET COMMUNITY & STREETS NEW BUILDINGS CIVIC CENTER

Hush Street is tracking what’s being built in Manhattan’s Chinatown, the southern edge of Little Italy and the Civic Center.

The largest project here is the city’s Manhattan borough-based jail at 124-125 White Street, a 16-story, 1,040-bed building where excavation and piling were under way by July 2026. Neighbors sued in October to stop permits that allow work until midnight on weekdays.

Chinatown itself has never been comprehensively rezoned; City Planning rejected the community’s Chinatown Working Group plan in 2015. The biggest public investments are in community space and streets: a $170 million rebuild of the fire-gutted community center at 70 Mulberry Street and a $55 million redesign of Chatham and Kimlau Squares. Private building is mostly small infill, while in the Civic Center the city is repairing its own landmarks.

Where DOB records and press reports disagree on heights or unit counts, both are given. A permit is not treated as proof that construction has started.

Project Location Status
1Manhattan Borough-Based Jail (124-125 White Street) White St., Centre–Baxter Sts. Under Construction
2Columbus Park Pavilion Columbus Park at Bayard St. Design Complete
388 White Street White St., Lafayette–Centre Sts. Approved
470 Mulberry Street Mulberry St. at Bayard St. Approved
5Chinatown Connections: Chatham & Kimlau Squares Chatham Square In Design
6Chinatown Working Group Rezoning Plan Chinatown & the Lower East Side Not Adopted
7107 Mott Street Mott St., Canal–Hester Sts. Completed
853 Catherine Street Catherine St. at Monroe St. Permitted
9188 Grand Street Grand St., Mulberry–Mott Sts. Filed (Plan Review)
1077 Mott Street Mott St., Bayard–Canal Sts. Filed (Stalled)
11217 Canal Street Canal St., Baxter–Mulberry Sts. Approved
1262 Mulberry Street Mulberry St. at Bayard St. Stalled
1360 Centre Street (New York County Courthouse) Foley Square Partly Permitted
14Municipal Building (1 Centre Street) Centre St. at Chambers St. Approved
152 Lafayette Street Lafayette St. at Reade St. Approved

The Jail on White Street

The city’s largest construction project in the neighborhood, and what sits around it.

1

Manhattan Borough-Based Jail (124-125 White Street)

Google Street View of 125 White Street, New York, NY
Manhattan Borough-Based Jail (124-125 White Street), via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location125 White Street, the former Manhattan Detention Complex
Developer/ApplicantNYC Department of Design and Construction, with Tutor Perini and O&G Industries (Curbed); HOK
ProjectA 16-story jail with 1,040 beds for men, 125 below-grade parking spaces and about 20,000 square feet of ground-floor community and commercial space (DDC), part of the plan to close Rikers Island. YIMBY put the cost at $3.9 billion and the height at 353 feet; Curbed reported 335 feet.
StatusUnder Construction
Latest UpdateDOB issued excavation, earthwork and foundation permits in May 2026, and YIMBY reported excavation and piling under way in July. In late October, Chinatown residents and groups sued to block permits allowing work from 6 a.m. to midnight on weekdays (Gothamist).

A Lawsuit Over After-Hours Work

The city targets 2032 for opening. According to the lawsuit, city officials have said that without after-hours work the opening would slip to 2034 at a cost of $340 million more, Gothamist reported. The demolition of the old detention towers was completed in 2025.

Sources: Gothamist (Oct. 2026); Curbed (Oct. 2026); New York YIMBY (July 2026); NYC DDC borough-based jails updates; NYC DOB NOW job M01294322 (May 2026)

2

Columbus Park Pavilion

Google Maps of Columbus Park, Bayard Street, New York, NY
Columbus Park, across Baxter Street from the jail site, via Google Maps. — Imagery: Google Maps
Developer/ApplicantNYC Parks
ProjectReconstruction of the pavilion at the north end of Columbus Park, including its basement, with a budget of $5 million to $10 million (NYC Parks).
StatusDesign Complete
Latest UpdateDOB approved the plans in January 2026 after NYC Parks finished the design in December 2025, about 20 months late. Procurement and a construction start date are still to be set.

A Park Next to a Construction Site

The park faces the jail site across Baxter Street.

Sources: NYC Parks capital project tracker (accessed Oct. 2026); NYC DOB NOW job M01308514-I1 (Jan. 2026)

3

88 White Street

Google Street View of 88 White Street, New York, NY
88 White Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location88 White Street
Developer/Applicant88-90 White Street Corporation; Manuel Glas Architects
ProjectA 13-story, 120-foot residential building with 32 apartments and accessory parking, replacing a five-story building (DOB, YIMBY).
StatusApproved
Latest UpdateDOB approved the new-building plans on March 18, 2026; an amendment went into objections on Aug. 31. No work permits have been issued.

Housing Two Blocks From the Jail

CityRealty lists it as a planned condominium.

Sources: New York YIMBY (May 2023); NYC DOB NOW job M00847412-I1 (Aug. 2026)

Community Space & Streets

A fire-gutted community center, a redesigned Chatham Square and a rezoning the community still wants.

4

70 Mulberry Street

Google Street View of 70 Mulberry Street, New York, NY
70 Mulberry Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location70 Mulberry Street
Developer/ApplicantNYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services with the Department of Design and Construction; Grimshaw with Moody Nolan
ProjectA $170 million rebuild of the former P.S. 23, gutted by fire in January 2020, into an eight-story community building that keeps its street façades and stair tower (DOB, DCAS). Five nonprofits that were based there, including the Chinese-American Planning Council and the Chen Dance Center, are to return.
StatusApproved
Latest UpdateDDC said in March 2026 that it was negotiating with a contractor and expected construction to start later in the year. DOB approved the foundation filing in August, but no work permits had been issued by late October.

Six Years After the Fire

The building also held the collection of the Museum of Chinese in America. Buro Happold, an engineer on the project, expects substantial completion in 2028.

Sources: NYC DDC (Mar. 2026); NYC DCAS; Buro Happold; NYC DOB NOW job M00953255-I1 (Aug. 2026)

5

Chinatown Connections: Chatham & Kimlau Squares

Google Maps of Chatham Square, New York, NY
Chatham Square and Kimlau Square, via Google Maps. — Imagery: Google Maps
Address/LocationChatham Square, with Kimlau Square and Park Row
Developer/ApplicantNYCEDC and NYC DOT, with NYC Parks, the Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State; artist Jennifer Wen Ma (Welcome Gateway)
ProjectA $55 million redesign that turns Chatham Square into a standard four-way intersection with more pedestrian space, rebuilds Kimlau Square with a new Chinatown Welcome Gateway, and improves Park Row’s streetscape (NYC DOT, NYCEDC).
StatusIn Design
Latest UpdateNYCEDC presented the design to Community Boards 3 and 1 on Oct. 13 and 20, 2026, ahead of a Public Design Commission review listed for Nov. 16. DOT said in 2025 that final design and construction were slated for 2027; the October presentation shows the Kimlau Plaza work finishing by 2030.

Rebuilding Chinatown's Front Door

Nothing reviewed shows Park Row reopening to general traffic, a long-standing community demand.

Sources: NYC DOT (Oct. 2025); Chinatown Connections presentation to CB3 (Oct. 2026); Chinatown Connections

6

Chinatown Working Group Rezoning Plan

Google Maps of Chinatown, Manhattan, NY
Chinatown, via Google Maps. — Imagery: Google Maps
Address/LocationChinatown, Manhattan
Developer/ApplicantChinatown Working Group, with Council Member Christopher Marte
ProjectA community-written rezoning that would cap building heights, require low-income housing on NYCHA land, tie affordability to local incomes and limit hotels (Chinatown Working Group).
StatusNot Adopted
Latest UpdateCouncil Member Christopher Marte renewed calls for a comprehensive Chinatown rezoning in December 2025 after a report by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund found the neighborhood’s Asian population fell from about 52,000 in 2010 to 41,000 in 2022 (Gothamist). No city rezoning application has been filed.

Rejected in 2015, Back on the Table

City Planning rejected the full plan in February 2015 as too broad, City Limits reported. In January 2026, a coalition of neighborhood groups urged the new mayor to build fully affordable housing on the jail site instead.

Sources: Gothamist (Dec. 2025); City Limits (Sept. 2016); Chinatown Working Group; Coalition to Protect Chinatown & LES (Jan. 2026)

New Buildings & Stalled Sites

Small infill on Mott, Grand, Canal and Catherine Streets, and a hotel site that never moved.

7

107 Mott Street

Google Street View of 107 Mott Street, New York, NY
107 Mott Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location107 Mott Street
Developer/Applicant107 Mott Street Realty LLC; Group Projects Architecture
ProjectA seven-story building with 10 apartments (DOB); YIMBY described eight stories and 11 homes.
StatusCompleted
Latest UpdateThe affordable housing lottery launched in February 2026 (YIMBY), and DOB renewed the temporary certificate of occupancy on Oct. 19.

Finished Infill on Mott

It is one of the few new residential buildings completed in Chinatown this year.

Sources: New York YIMBY (Feb. 2026); NYC DOB BIS job 121207826 and CO records (Oct. 2026)

8

53 Catherine Street

Google Street View of 53 Catherine Street, New York, NY
53 Catherine Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location53 Catherine Street, a former Catholic church and rectory
Developer/ApplicantRivington Company; Studio V Architecture
ProjectConversion and enlargement of a church closed in 2015 and its rectory into 38 apartments with about 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail (DOB, Commercial Observer).
StatusPermitted
Latest UpdateDOB issued the conversion permit on June 25, 2026. Inspectors cited the site’s fence and sidewalk shed in October.

A Church Becomes Housing

Rivington bought the church and rectory for $14.5 million, Commercial Observer and PincusCo reported.

Sources: Commercial Observer (May 2025); PincusCo; NYC DOB NOW job M01098322-I1 (June 2026)

9

188 Grand Street

Google Street View of 188 Grand Street, New York, NY
188 Grand Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location188 Grand Street
Developer/ApplicantKings Capital (DOB owner of record); Opera Studio Architecture
ProjectAn eight-story building with 12 apartments and ground-floor retail on a Little Italy lot cleared after the city ordered the old building taken down (DOB, YIMBY).
StatusFiled (Plan Review)
Latest UpdateThe new-building application was filed on Sept. 25, 2026 and is in DOB plan review.

Rebuilding an Emergency Demolition Site

The four-story building came down under a 2024 emergency order. City property records still list a different owner than the DOB filing.

Sources: New York YIMBY (Sept. 2026); NYC DOB NOW job M01451425-I1 (Oct. 2026)

10

77 Mott Street

Google Street View of 77 Mott Street, New York, NY
77 Mott Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location77 Mott Street
Developer/Applicant77 Mott LLC; Tan Architect
ProjectA nine-story addition on a four-story commercial building, making a 13-story, 139-foot building with eight apartments and about 12,000 square feet of commercial space (DOB, YIMBY).
StatusFiled (Stalled)
Latest UpdateThe application has been in DOB objections since January 2025, with no permits issued.

A Tall Addition on Mott

It is on the same block as 70 Mulberry Street.

Sources: New York YIMBY (Aug. 2023); NYC DOB NOW job M00909861-I1 (accessed Oct. 2026)

11

217 Canal Street

Google Street View of 217 Canal Street, New York, NY
217 Canal Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location217 Canal Street
Developer/ApplicantMott & Prince Management; S M Tam Architect
ProjectAn eight-story, 85-foot commercial and office building of about 25,000 square feet (DOB, YIMBY).
StatusApproved
Latest UpdateDOB approved the new building in May 2025, but the application to demolish the one-story building on the site has been in objections since April 2025.

Offices on Canal

YIMBY described the site as vacant in 2024; DOB and city property records still show a one-story store.

Sources: New York YIMBY (June 2024); NYC DOB NOW jobs M00857651-I1 and M01001530-I1 (accessed Oct. 2026)

12

62 Mulberry Street

Google Street View of 62 Mulberry Street, New York, NY
62 Mulberry Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location62 Mulberry Street
Developer/ApplicantMcSam Hotel Group
ProjectA hotel of 13 to 14 stories with about 102 rooms planned to replace a parking garage across from Columbus Park (DOB, YIMBY).
StatusStalled
Latest UpdateDOB approved the plans in February 2022 and nothing has been filed since. The garage still stands.

A Hotel That Never Started

YIMBY first reported the plan in 2020.

Sources: New York YIMBY (Aug. 2020); NYC DOB BIS job 121208656 (accessed Oct. 2026); NYC PLUTO, block 164 lot 17 (accessed Oct. 2026)

Civic Center

The city is repairing its own landmark buildings around Foley Square.

13

60 Centre Street (New York County Courthouse)

Google Street View of 60 Centre Street, New York, NY
60 Centre Street (New York County Courthouse), via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location60 Centre Street
Developer/ApplicantNYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services; Thornton Tomasetti
ProjectA $34 million restoration of the landmarked courthouse’s façade, roof, plaza and basement structure, plus a separate $7.3 million roof and masonry job (DOB).
StatusPartly Permitted
Latest UpdateDOB issued permits for the $7.3 million roof and masonry work in June and July 2026. The larger restoration is approved but not yet permitted.

Repairing a Landmark Courthouse

DCAS also has an $11.2 million roof replacement approved for the Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street.

Sources: NYC DOB NOW jobs M01215729-I1 and M01275582-I1 (July 2026); NYC PLUTO, block 160 lot 21 (accessed Oct. 2026)

14

Municipal Building (1 Centre Street)

Google Street View of 1 Centre Street, New York, NY
Municipal Building (1 Centre Street), via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location1 Centre Street
Developer/ApplicantNYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
ProjectModernization of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, including a $26.2 million elevator replacement and an $18.7 million renovation and roof replacement on the upper floors (DOB).
StatusApproved
Latest UpdateThe free Centre 360 observation deck opened in the building’s cupola, about 500 feet up, in June 2026 after a $6 million renovation (DCAS). DOB approved the elevator job on Aug. 28.

A Public Deck at the Top

The upper-floor renovation and a gut renovation of the ninth floor are still in DOB objections.

Sources: NYC DCAS (June 2026); NYC DOB NOW jobs M01198016-I1 and M01287134-I1 (Aug. 2026)

15

2 Lafayette Street

Google Street View of 2 Lafayette Street, New York, NY
2 Lafayette Street, via Google Street View. — Imagery: Google Street View
Address/Location2 Lafayette Street
Developer/ApplicantNYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
ProjectA 21-story city office building getting a $21.2 million elevator modernization and $4.8 million of exterior restoration (DOB), with a new walk-in Jobs NYC Center in its long-vacant storefront.
StatusApproved
Latest UpdateThe Jobs NYC Center began regular walk-in hours on Oct. 5, 2026 (Mayor’s Office). DOB approved the exterior work in June; neither job has a permit yet.

A Vacant Storefront Filled

The building is in the African Burial Ground and The Commons Historic District.

Sources: NYC Mayor's Office (Sept. 2026); NYC DOB NOW jobs M01238379-I1 and M01389278-I1 (June 2026)

What We're Watching Next

A court ruling on the jail’s after-hours permits, the start of construction at 70 Mulberry Street, the Public Design Commission’s review of Chinatown Connections, permits for 88 White Street and any city response to calls for a Chinatown rezoning are next.

Hush Street also tracks the Lower East Side, including Two Bridges, Tribeca, SoHo, NoHo & Hudson Square and the Financial District, where 100 Gold Street is planned.

Header photo: Mott Street, Chinatown, 2024, by Superbass, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

By Updated Built from city filings and published reporting. About Hush Street

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