Dreams of LGA Expansion Might Help to Spell the End for Rikers Island Prison

A report, cited by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in his announcement that the city will shutter Rikers Island, lists a variety of reasons the site is perfect for future LGA expansion.

A report released to the public this weekend is credited with encouraging New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce on Friday that his administration would begin phasing out one of the most infamous city jails in modern history. The 148-page, “A More Just New York City” report created by the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, creates a blueprint for moving from a jail the size of a mid-sized city to a smaller community-based correctional system over the next decade.

The study also offers some surprising possibilities for what to do with the 400-acre island once all the inmates are relocated – including a detailed proposal to use the island to expand LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

Prior to his announcement, the mayor was under pressure from civil rights groups and members of his own party, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, to declare his intention to close the 85-year-old facility located on the East River just meters from LGA. The study helped to nudge the top NYC official to declare his support for closing the facility sooner rather than later.

“New York City will close the Rikers Island jail facility,” the mayor declared in an historic press conference late last week. “It will take many years. It will take many tough decisions along the way. But it will happen.”

While Mayor de Blasio’s public comments focused on the many ways closing the largest incarceration facility in the world would start a movement away from a shameful period of mass incarceration, he also acknowledged that the decision would lead to development opportunities on the extremely valuable swath of real estate. The airport itself, however, offers a major hitch to future development on the island. Because of Rikers Island’s close proximity to the runways at LGA, any future construction would be subject to strict height restrictions.

The commission’s study notes that noise pollution from the nearby airport would also limit the island’s vaibility for residential development and contends that connecting LGA to the island would still allow enough space to expand critical public works infrastructure as well.

“Being next-door to LaGuardia presents a rare opportunity to improve operations at one of the nation’s most challenged airports and to meet the region’s need for additional flight capacity,” the study contends. “The same proximity dampens the potential value of other uses.”

The report commissioned by the New York City Council estimates that incorporating Rikers into LGA could allow the airport to accommodate an additional 12 million passengers each year.

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