Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening Tuesday, with transfers to the Bellevue unit beginning Wednesday in a phased rollout.
- The Bellevue floor is built for people in custody with serious illnesses who do not need full hospitalization, offering dorms and private rooms, on-site specialty clinics and outdoor recreation space.
- The Department of Correction plans to permanently close the North Infirmary Command on Rikers in June, and officials say many of its roughly 300 residents will be reassigned elsewhere in the jail system based on their care needs.
- After years of delays, the unit finished construction in 2025 with a budget that rose to $241 million from $130 million, and the city drew more than 400 applicants for about 130 correction posts to operate it.
- Two sister units at Woodhull and North Central Bronx are now projected for 2028–2029, leaving total capacity near 340 beds as officials acknowledge the 2027 Rikers closure deadline is practically impossible given current population and timelines.