U.N. Looking for Cheap Temporary Space

AP ^ | 10/12/5 | EDITH M. LEDERER

[SmithL]

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations is looking at everything in its search for cheap temporary space — islands, cruise ships, and even large tents. And Brooklyn is definitely still in the running.

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Louis Frederick Reuter IV, who took charge of the U.N.'s renovation and relocation four weeks ago, said the world body is scrambling to find temporary headquarters following the New York State legislature's refusal to give the go-ahead for a new building.

The sprawling U.N. headquarters complex, overlooking the East River, was considered modern when it was constructed 50 years ago but now violates most New York City fire and safety codes and desperately needs renovation.

The 38-story Secretariat building has no sprinkler system, is packed with asbestos and loses about 25 percent of the heat pumped into it in the winter.

But the cost of renovating the building, and moving elsewhere for three or four years during the overhaul, has become a major factor following the legislature's rebuff and Reuter said he wants to stay as close to the proposed $1 billion overall budget as possible.

[SmithL]

Hey Kofi, try Havana.

[Izzy Dunne]

Try New Orleans.

[cripplecreek]

Damascus is probably cheap and it looks more and more temporary all the time.

[Fenris6]

Gaza

[CindyDawg]

Can they not ED the property?

[CarolinaGOP]

How about Baghdad?

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Finally a good use for the FEMA trailers. Bring your own locksmith, Kofi.

[calrighty]

R O T F L M A O !!

[Smokin' Joe]

Tristan da Cunha--if they'd have them.

[NormsRevenge]

Does Riker's Island have any space available?

[MNJohnnie]

Gee all those Iraqi palaces of Saddam's are empty are they not?

[null and void]

Excellent!

[decal]

Kahoolawe, if they just insist on our putting up with them.

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/hawaii/kahoolawe.html

[CindyDawg]

Mexico isn't very crowded right now, either.

[CondorFlight]

"$1 billion overall budget"

For an office building???
How much of this will Kofi get?
(Lots of places in this world where you can get an office building for far less than $1 billion. Try Bejing. Havana.
Beautiful downtown Damascus.)

[RichInOC]

Yep...plenty of residential and commercial space in Mid-City, along the lake and in the Lower Ninth...never mind the fur on the walls, guys. That's completely normal. It's just really really humid down there...

[Billthedrill]

Harare's nice this time of year. All the grubs and tree bark you can eat...

[Aznar5]

I think there is room in Zimbabwe.

Demo the building and build a memorial to victims of Communism.

[aShepard]

Kofi, hire some of those garbage scows that ply the East River; have them tie off at the UN bulkhead, board the diplomats, bang the gavel, and have at it!

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

I would suggest Haiti!

It would help the local economy considerablyaaa!