Posted on 07/02/2007 5:37:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS - American architect Michael Adlerstein was appointed Monday to oversee the $1.9 billion renovation of the landmark United Nations headquarters building overlooking New York's East River.
Adlerstein will be executive director of a long-delayed project to modernize the 39-story glass-and-steel building, which has not had a major overhaul in its 55-year existence and now violates safety and fire codes.
A native New Yorker, Adlerstein is vice president and architect of the New York Botanical Garden, America's oldest and most respected center for horticulture and botanical research.
In the 1980s, he was project director for the ambitious restoration of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, which led to his promotion to chief historical architect, an adviser to the National Park Service director and the secretary of interior. He previously worked as a State Department consultant on numerous projects, including preservation of India's Taj Mahal.
Adlerstein succeeds Louis Frederick Reuter IV, an American consultant who resigned in June 2006 after only a year, saying he was frustrated by political wrangling that resulted in years of delay and huge cost overruns in the U.N. project.
Much of Reuter's job involved trying to cut through U.N. bureaucracy and persuade the 192 U.N. member states to move ahead, to little avail. In his resignation statement, he said: "I am 62 years old and am interested in building buildings, not 'selling' them, which activity has constituted the majority of my work over the last year."
Adlerstein should have an easier time because in December the U.N. General Assembly finally gave a green light to start the renovation, which is scheduled to be completed by 2014.
The body approved $42 million to spend in 2007 for the design and pre-construction phases, including finding space for the U.N. staff, which must move during the refurbishment. The building is expected to be renovated several floors at a time, from top to bottom.
The first visible action should be a groundbreaking ceremony for a temporary conference facility on the north lawn. It had been planned for this summer but will now likely be delayed until early 2008 to allow time for an underground survey, U.N. officials said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who appointed Adlerstein, has made tackling global warming a top priority and has said he would like the renovation to be carried out in an environmentally friendly way.
For a start, may I suggest a move to France?
Just so long as he remembers to plant the Bugs in every office and room of any sort.
Barricades and security officers surround the United Nations building before the start of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, September 19, 2006. U.S. architect Michael Adlerstein, who has helped renovate buildings ranging from the Statue of Liberty to the Taj Mahal, will take over the lagging project to restore U.N. headquarters, the United Nations said on Monday. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
That is a lot of money just to implode a usless building and turn the acrage into a park!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Condo conversion
Why do I think that by the time the renovations are done, the bill will be a LOT higher than $1.9 BILLION.
They should just tear it down, and replace the whole UN with a corporate meeting planner, like Maritz.
I think just a couple of hundred pounds of dynamite would be a cheaper solution. It would be even better if the entire UN staff were inside during the renovation.
 |
I'd say one or two cruise missiles could do the job at a bargain price! |
Least there be any misunderstanding … the American taxpayer WILL pay for most of it. (Regardless of propaganda otherwise.)
Rebuild it in Gaza. That seems to be their favorite place in the world and the real estate has to be cheap.
Building, concept and organization.
Does that mean the American taxpayer WILL pay for foot baths too?
I was going to say the same thing. Good thing I read the thread befor asking .
Plastic lawn furniture on a barge is all they really need...
Give me the $1.9B and I can get it done on time and under budget...
LOL! Bet your bottom dollar on that one.
1.9 billion. ‘cause, well, you know, just calling it two billion would be excessive. 1,900,000,000 dollars.
I’m sorry, but what on earth would cost that much money to do? Someone get Donald Trump on the phone, tell him it has to be done by 2008, and to get to work, and I’d bet you it could be done for a quarter of the price even with the highly shorten schedule.
Insane. I think the 1.9 billion would be better spent sending them to Europe. Lord knows the UN has been a useless building over here. Perhaps they’d finally have a space large enough to contain the proposed EU constitution?
that’s a lot of money for a bathhouse.
Give the UN 30 days notice to vacate, notify the UN that the US no longer will fund any UN activity, notify all foreign UN personel that they must leave the country within 30 days, tear the f***ing thing down on day 31 and if they have any questions, the answer is NO!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.