Before opening as a prison in 1976, the building was used as a branch of the
Young Women's Hebrew Association (YWHA) and for housing recently immigrated Jewish women in need of assistance, beginning in 1914. In 1942 it was sold to the U.S. Army and briefly used as a rest-and-relaxation center for local soldiers during
World War II, after which it was occupied by the experimental
New Lincoln School, and the Northside Center for Child Development, which conducted research in
psychology. It was announced by Governor
Andrew Cuomo on May 17, 2019, that the facility would close on September 1 as part of the 2020 State Budget that was approved on April 1. When it closed, there was speculation that it would be sold and turned into condos, affordable housing, or a women's jail, However it remained vacant until May 29, 2023, when NYC officials said the state would provide the facility as a temporary site to house asylum seekers. == References ==