United Nations Renovations

The main buildings of the UN Headquarters were constructed in 1952; they are the Secretariat, the Conference building and the General Assembly building. These buildings are in dire need of renovations; they do not meet the current standards for safety or accessibility. The buildings contain asbestos and the mechanical systems are largely original, very inefficient, and are far beyond their intended service life. 

Renovations began in May 2008 with the groundbreaking for a temporary building on the North Lawn. The project is managed by a small office called the Office of the Capital Master Plan, headed by Mr. Michael Adlerstein, Assistant Secretary-General.  Once construction of the temporary building is completed (summer 2009), renovation of The Secretariat Building will commence providing offices for the Secretary-General and his immediate staff. The temporary building will also house the functions of the Conference and General Assembly buildings while those buildings are renovated. All renovations are expected to be completed by 2013.

The Board believes that the United Nations is an important member of our community and is generally supportive of their plans, particularly of plan to provide a continuous waterfront esplanade from 41^st street to 51^st street. Through various committees, we are monitoring development plans and working to ensure that our concerns are addressed.