Rikers Island Is the Perfect Place to Build a Casino

Two public development projects are in the works that will indelibly change the character of New York City. Both are fraught with political and economic risks, and both will strike a nerve with many New Yorkers.

The first is the closing of the notorious Rikers Island jail complex. The city’s plan, which includes relocating the incarcerated population to jails in the boroughs, faces a deadline of Aug. 31, 2027. Neighborhood opposition and lukewarm support from Mayor Eric Adams have bedeviled this undertaking. But the imperative to close the jail complex is urgent, as conditions continue to deteriorate.