There goes the most touristy jail cell in the city.
The NYPD is planning a $3.5 million overhaul to its Times Square substation that would eliminate the single holding cell inside. The 1,000-square-foot, bunker-like building at the Crossroads of the World will receive the makeover in the coming months “to add things like informational kiosks.”
“We believe this is a tremendous opportunity to get people in,” said Deputy Commissioner of Management and Budget Vincent Grippo.
The plan is just beginning to take form and officials haven’t decided yet if they will tear it down and start over or just gut renovate the inside. But the design may include surveillance footage from the area on televisions attached to the outside of the building.
“Fortunately, things have changed dramatically in Times Square,” Grippo said, explaining why the jail cell is no longer needed. “We don’t view Times Square as a high-crime area, certainly not the types of crimes we were looking at decades ago.”
Officials will begin soon by hiring an architect, but have already been talking about turning the station into somewhat of a police museum.
“It could have some historical items showcasing the police department’s history, showcasing what it is the police department does,” Grippo said. “It could be an opportunity a tourist or a New Yorker would have to come and sort of get a better sense of what the police department does and provide them with the opportunity to interact directly with officers.”
The city will have to stay within the single-story building’s footprint and can’t build vertically, Grippo said. Ultimately, the department hopes the substation will help it buff its image and plans to do the same in other areas of the city with high foot traffic.
“These are the places in the city we most want to target because we believe there’s tremendous opportunity to get people in and to have them have these positive interactions,” Grippo said.