NYC's Chinatown to get a makeover

New York City's iconic Chinatown will undergo a $56 million makeover under plans unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams, who will use investments from both the city and state to dramatically improve the public space.

The initiative, called "Chinatown Connections", will use $44.3 million in city capital funding and $11.5 million from New York state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative awards. Work will start in 2027 and is scheduled to be completed by 2029.

Around $5 million of the $11.5 million will go toward the redesign of Kimlau Square, home to a memorial honoring Chinese American veterans of World War II.

The plaza is named in honor of Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau, a Chinese American from New York who served as an Air Force bomber pilot in World War II. In 1944, he was shot down in combat and died at age 26.

Adams said last month in a statement: "Our $56 million joint investment with the state in ‘Chinatown Connections' will allow us to reimagine the square with shortened street crossings, more public space, simpler intersections, and direct cyclist connections — making our streets even safer for all New Yorkers to share".

"At every step of the way, we will work hand-in-hand with the local Chinatown community so that the project reflects what the community wants and needs from our city,” he said.

Manhattan's Chinatown, in the heart of Lower Manhattan, was established by immigrants primarily from Toisan (Taishan), in Canton (Guangdong province) of China, in the 1870s. Today its businesses and culture span more than 55 square blocks.

The upgrade to the historic area comes as it experiences demographic changes including gentrification, new buildings and a younger generation of Chinese taking over family businesses.

Data from the city's 2022 Chinatown Manhattan Commercial District Needs Assessment report shows that out of 57,159 residents, 60 percent (34,295) were Asian, 18 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, and 6 percent African American. Around 24 percent of residents are 65 or older.

Between 2010 and 2020, Chinatown's Asian population fell by 10 percent, the report said. But around 80 percent of local businesses still cater to the community.

Part of the city's plan includes installing a large Chinatown Welcome Gateway sign near Kimlau Square to "commemorate the cultural heritage of the neighborhood and draw visitors to local businesses".

The sign will depend on private fundraising to supplement $2.5 million of the $11.5 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award.

US Congressman Dan Goldman, a representative for New York's 10th District, said in a statement: "Manhattan's Historic Chinatown is one of the oldest and most important Chinese American communities in America and has long been a hub of cultural and economic activities.”

Some of the other planned changes will redesign Kimlau Square from a dangerous five-point intersection to a standard, four-way intersection.

Kimlau Square was previously named Chatham Square. It was changed in the early 1960s when the Kimlau Memorial Arch was erected by the American Legion.

Designed by architect Poy Gum Lee, a New Yorker, the monument has both a Chinese and English inscription on it that states: "In memory of Americans of Chinese ancestry who lost their lives in the defense of freedom and democracy.”

Wellington Chen, executive director of Chinatown Partnership, said in a statement: "Kimlau Square has historically been an important place for open air markets or for the public to use the elevated train station.

"It is also where we remember the veterans and honor those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice as it is the vital key connection where streets converge. We look forward to having a better and proper setting for future commemorations and communal gatherings for generations to come.” 

An area known as Park Row, connected to a pedestrian and bike route connecting Lower Manhattan, Chinatown, the Brooklyn Bridge and the new public space at the Brooklyn Bridge Arches, will also undergo a $4 million facelift.

New York state Assembly Member Grace Lee said in a statement: "Despite being one of the most historic neighborhoods in New York City, Chinatown has a long history of being underfunded and underserved; projects like this show we are finally starting to receive the support and recognition we deserve.”