City DOT spends millions on empty office space 

The Department of Transportation is paying at least $11.8 million in rent for office space that is sitting empty. The department’s move to a 368,000-square-foot space at 55 Water Street in Lower Manhattan is delayed, and employees are expected to move into the new headquarters in April 2009. The stalled move is raising objections from city council members who say taxpayers shouldn’t pay for the empty space, especially when there’s a growing budget gap.