The U.N. headquarters
The East River-facing U.N. building, which has been under renovation since 2009, has received a final cost for the work: $2 billion, the Associated Press reported, which is 4 percent over the project’s initial budget.
This marks the first renovation of the building since its opening 60 years ago, the AP reported. Changes include asbestos abatement, new shared work stations from private offices and blast-proof windows that cannot be opened due to security measures. A separate development project will occur on the outside of the building, as the riverfront Manhattan Greenway expands.
During construction, a temporary space on the U.N. campus was erected for 2,000 U.N. employees, including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and roughly 3,000 U.N. employees work in temporary offices around the city.
Michael Adlerstein, an architect and U.N. assistant secretary general who is overseeing the project, told the AP that the project will be completed by September 2014. [AP via Crain’s]