President Aquino’s Alma Mater

I work in the public relations office at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. It has come to my attention that one of our alumna, Corazon Aquino, was mentioned in the editorial “After John Paul II” [April 8, 2005] as an alumna of Manhattanville College. Corazon Aquino graduated from Mount Saint Vincent in 1953 with a B.A. in French; she returned to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in the 1980s, and in 1997 was an honoree at our annual Scholarship Tribute Dinner.

STEVE EICHINGER
Associate Director of Public Relations
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Riverdale, N.Y.

‘President Hillary?’

I just read John P. Avlon on Senator Clinton’s shift to the right with issues such as abortion [“President Hillary?” Opinion, March 18, 2005]. When you can convince the NARAL ladies to throw in the sponge, so to speak, that’s quite impressive. But I can’t wait for her to appear at the ’08 NASCAR Daytona 500 dressed to the nines in her camouflage pantsuit to announce to the red state folks, “Drivers, start your engines, y’all,” having arrived in her pickup truck with gun rack. Then we’ll know that her mentor, Bubba, has created his true Bubbette. Better help the Manhattan West Side folks find out where the local gun shows and monster-truck events are located: That’s where the Clinton campaign events will be held.

JEROME M. COHEN
Boynton Beach, Fla.

Trump and the U.N.

Articles by Meghan Clyne [“Senator Seeks Limits on U.N.,” Page 1, April 7, 2005; “Trump Scoffs at U.N.’s Plan for New H.Q.,” Page 1, February 4, 2005] quote Donald Trump and Stephen Siegel, among others, characterizing as “outrageously high” the estimated cost of $1.2 billion for the refurbishment of United Nations headquarters.

The United Nations continues to seek the most cost-efficient means to accomplish the badly needed renovation. Besides refurbishing the headquarters complex from top to bottom, the project involves the temporary relocation of some 3,000 staff and thousands of meetings.

New York City and New York State, through the United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC), have offered to construct a swing space building (referred to as UNDC-5) on the Robert Moses playground site, which would subsequently be used to consolidate other U.N. offices now scattered around the area.

The purpose of the refurbishment of the six-building, 2.6-million-square-foot, 17-acre U.N. headquarters is to bring the complex into compliance with building codes, meet modern environmental standards, replace deteriorated or obsolete systems that are costly to operate, and improve security.

It is not clear how that scope can realistically be reduced without leaving part of the facility unsafe. The United Nations is aware of the pitfalls of cost overruns in refurbishment work, and has made allowance for this within a realistic budget. The overall cost of $1.2 billion – which those who have not had a chance to become familiar with the project may believe is the refurbishment cost alone – is a projected total budget for the project. The scope and the estimating methodology were reviewed and found acceptable by the United States Government Accountability Office.

Eminent and experienced New York City firms, such as Hanscomb Faithful & Gould (1999), Turner Construction (2002) – one of New York City’s premier construction managers whose budget was also peer-reviewed by Hill International – and Gardiner & Theobald (2005), have prepared total budgets for the project in accordance with established practice for prudent project development; the budget includes not only the refurbishment, but also planning contingency, professional design and management fees, construction change-order allowance, cost escalation, rental of swing space during the refurbishment, and further security and environmental options the Member States may select.

UNDC must receive community, city, and state legislative approval for various aspects of the swing space building development, and the United Nations must obtain the approval of the General Assembly.

The best case scenario would al low UNDC-5 to be built by 2010, but U.N. staff would need to be moved out by 2007.

The United Nations greatly appreciates the support of the Bloomberg and Pataki administrations and their continued provision of real estate assistance to the United Nations. The city and state are now helping the United Nations to identify alternative swing space in the area to accommodate staff and meetings, pending construction of the new building. The United Nations continues to view the proposed UNDC-5 building as the best option for consolidating U.N. offices for the future.

Estimates for the renovation will continue to be crosschecked and revised periodically as the design proceeds, and the entire project is being monitored by Gardiner & Theobald and closely audited. Most important, once the designs are completed in 2006, the project will be publicly and competitively bid.

If there are firms that can refurbish the U.N. Headquarters complex, meeting all specifications requested as well as New York City building codes, for less than the budgeted cost, such offers, including from Mr. Trump, will be welcomed by the United Nations.

SHASHI THAROOR
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
United Nations
Manhattan

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