In June 2018, improvements to the East Broadway station's exits were proposed as part of the development of the controversial 247 Cherry, 269 South Street, and 259 Clinton Street skyscrapers. The developers planned to create an entrance at the northeastern corner of Rutgers and Madison Streets by reusing part of the existing closed exit and creating a new street stair parallel to Madison Street from the passage. In addition to a new exit, the developers planned to make the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with the installation of elevators. The plan was approved that December, but the developments were blocked by a New York Supreme Court judge in February 2020, making the proposed improvements unlikely to occur.