Judge Temporarily Bans Late-Night Construction at Chinatown Jail Site

A Manhattan Supreme Court judge on October 27, 2026 issued a temporary restraining order blocking construction work at the new Chinatown jail site during hours permitted between 6 a.m. and midnight on weekdays. The ruling came after Chinatown residents and advocates filed a lawsuit arguing that years of planned after-hours construction — including overnight drilling — disrupted sleep, harmed public health, and endangered the surrounding community. Vic Lee, founder of Welcome to Chinatown, stated: 'The city's plans for years of nighttime drilling and overnight construction are dangerous to the surrounding community.' The restraining order is a setback to the city's plan to construct replacement jails in four boroughs in order to close the ageing Rikers Island complex. The city had not yet commented on the ruling at time of publication. Both parties are due back in court on December 1 for further proceedings.