inuous motor idling and build-up of dust.

Several residents claimed the noise is already unbearable since the new all-night plan - with weekday work running from 6 a.m. to midnight - went into effect 10 days ago, according to the suit.

One of the plaintiffs in the suit, filmmaker Jon Alpert, says the new schedule was wreaking havoc on his health while he recovers from 9/11-related prostate cancer treatment.

6 Several residents sound off in the city, claiming their lives are already a living hell since the new all-night plan - with weekday work running from 6 AM to midnight - went into effect 10 days ago. New York State Court

6 A map showing the jail construction site relative to the locations of the suing residents. New York State Court

 Alpert is no longer able to have a normal night's sleep,  the suit claims, citing  pounding  that begins before sunrise and that inches of construction dust has piled throughout his Lafayette Street home.

Alpert, 77, says he has repeatedly complained to city officials and electeds, but  to no avail. 

Local City Councilmember Chris Marte said City Hall has  abandoned  Chinatown.

 This unilateral move to work overnight and on weekends serves as the latest example of the City's prioritization of a megajail over the health and safety of New Yorkers,  Marte said.

6 Screenshots display an absence of noise mitigation measures in a lawsuit filed by Chinatown residents against the city over a 18-hour work plan at a neighborhood megajail site. New York State Court

6 Protesters hang a banner calling for the Mayor to stop the construction of a mega-jail from a building on Canal Street in Chinatown during the morning rush hour in New York, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. ZUMAPRESS.com

According to the city, loud work - including excavation, drilling and concrete placement - lasts from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, with the other hours reserved for prep work.

City Hall said there was already extensive, independent environmental monitoring in place, including vibration, dust and noise monitors, plus mufflers and sound blankets to combat noise from the site.

 We will respond to these claims in court,  said mayor spokesperson Sam Raskin.  The Mamdani administration is committed to meeting our moral and legal obligations to closing the jails on Rikers Island and transitioning to a safer, more humane borough-based correctional system. 

Despite a deadline of 2027 set by the City Council in 2019 to close Rikers, Mayor Zohran Mamdani conceded this summer that the deadline can't be met - as The Post reported that the scheme was already $8 billion over budget.

 We know that Mayor Mandani didn't come up with this plan, but we hope he'll fix it,  said Lee.  The City can close Rikers the right way.