Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2cmp030608.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 6 -- The head of the UN's Capital Master Plan, Michael Adlerstein, came Thursday to tell the press that the project is within its $1.867 billion budget, and that a new "swing space" has been leased at 380 Madison Avenue. The promise and premise of the briefing was that Adlerstein is keeping the public informed about all aspects of the project to, as he put it, avoid even the appearance of impropriety. But Adlerstein refused to state how much the UN will be paying in rent at 380 Madison; his office declined to answer Inner City Press' question of how much in "associated funding," beyond the $1.867 billion, is being sought from the UN General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Budgetary and Administrative), and whether the swing space at 380 Madison is "MOSS compliant," a term much in use at the UN following the bombing of the UN in Algiers in December.
Inner City Press asked for an update on issues surrounding the general contractor Skanska, including what in Argentina is routinely called the "Skanska scandal," involving bribery to get a gas-related contract. Adlerstein said he doesn't like or agree with the phrase Skanska scandal. Video here. Inner City Press asked him to confirm he has written an ethics letter to his staff. Adlerstein said yes, he did so on the topic of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. But to not answer basic budgetary questions hardly appears proper. And his claim that the $1.867 billion figure still stands and will stand will be put to the test by the Board of Auditors, which previously exposed the CMP as $219 million over budget.
In more positive news, it appears that the UN is considering relocating some of its trees, including gifts from the Japanese mission, to keep them safe during construction. Inner City Press asked Capital Master Plan spokesman Werner Schmidt if he could confirm that the Bronx-based NY Botanical Garden, where the CMP's Michael Adlerstein used to work, is coming to check out and even price relocation of the trees. "There are tree issues," Schmidt replied. "We are talking to a number" of entities, "including the Botanical Garden." Watch this site.
