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| International-UN-NGOs |
| Kofi pad to get $4.3M fixup |
| 2006-12-06 |
| I was gonna put this under "Lurid Crime Tales". Man, I'll bet Kofi's really pissed he's leaving now. The United Nations plans to gut the super-luxe East Side townhouse that's home to the secretary general and give it a multimillion-dollar renovation - complete with a $200,000 kitchen. I'll bet the servants will be able to cook up some fine meals in a kitchen that costs more then my friggin house... "That's a fantastic budget. It'd be a hell of a thing," said Stefan Boublil, owner of swanky SoHo design firm The Apartment. "It's an expensive kitchen." Really, Stefan? Ya think? The pricey kitchen upgrade is only a small part of a $4.3 million overhaul of the four-story Sutton Place manse where Kofi Annan has lived rent-free for a decade. Now there's a shock. Well, not really... And that's not the whole cost. Yeah. I didn't think so. Ban Ki Moon, the South Korean diplomat due to succeed Annan on Jan. 1, will spend his first nine months in a Manhattan hotel at an additional cost of $202,500 so workers can tackle the job. Oh, good. Good to see some Tsunami aid money was left over so they can put Ban Man up. The UN General Assembly adopted the renovation plan last week. How much? Well,..add a million and okay it. Despite its handsome brick exterior and posh riverfront location, the home hasn't had any serious work done since 1950 and has deteriorated into a crumbling firetrap, according to documents obtained by the Daily News. Yes, I'm sure it's a veritable third world hellhole... The plumbing is leaking, the plaster walls are falling apart and the electrical system keeps overloading - costing $60,000 a year in emergency fixes, Annan complained recently. Ha! Like he actually paid for it. The massive upgrade includes a $2.1 million heating and cooling system, $650,000 security improvements and even $100,000 in landscaping. I'd love to be the contractor who grabbed that job. "Aw, Jeez. Them solid gold bidets musta fell off the truck. I know they're fifty grand a pop but we'll have to reorder them." But good luck getting paid... The cost of the heating and cooling system "sounds extraordinarily high to me," said Sean Dineen of Dineen Construction Co. in Brooklyn. Guess we'll have to send Jon Engeland over to tell him how stingy he is... "I'm doing a renovation of an entire brownstone in Park Slope for $1.7 million," he added. Pikers... But one contractor who does lots of work in the Sutton Place neighborhood said the renovation sounded like a relative bargain. Grand Renovation President John Buchbinder said certain work - like fixing the townhouse's elevator - can start at $400,000. Buchbinder also said the bill for the heating and cooling system sounded reasonable for an especially energy-efficient setup. Trolling for some of the business there, Johnnyboy? The 14,000-square-foot townhouse was built for Anne Morgan, daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, in 1921. The UN received the home as a gift in 1972. Man, this story is just loaded with shocking news... The repair bill comes on top of the UN's plan to overhaul its East Side headquarters over the next eight years at a projected cost of $1.9 billion. When it's other people's, money is no object... What kind of kitchen does $200,000 buy? The best of the best - and then some. Stefan Boublil, owner of the SoHo design firm The Apartment, recommended decorating in honor of the United Nations' international flavor: high-class touches from around the world. Nothing but the best! You said it! Malloch, write all this down... For starters, he suggested getting a $35,000 custom-made stove from the French company La Cornue, which can "cook anything in five minutes." For 35 grand it better feed me the food. The UN could add a couple of $750 under-the-counter dishwashers from the New Zealand company Fisher & Paykel, or a $52,000 Texas-made Traulsen refrigerator. Texas? Where "that cowboy" is from? Ewwwwwww... For countertops, Boublil's favorite is the elegant white Corian quartz counter because "it takes abuse wonderfully. After a while, you can sand it down - it's like new." How about Palestinian rolled sheetmetal..from the finest metal shops in Gaza? Henry Gimenez of Hudson Finishes in Manhattan said $200,000 would buy custom cabinets, marble countertops and a stone floor. On the other end, Gimenez added, "Using stock cabinetry, and depending on your choice of appliances, you could pull something off for $75,000." 75 grand? That wouldn't buy the UN a waterproof tent in Bandar Aceh. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #6 When do we send in the trans-fat interrogation team? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-12-06 23:00 |
| #5 The dishwashers sound reasonably priced for that pricepoint property, and at least two for large parties makes sense. I think it's the Corian quartz that has some sort of built in bacteriacide, a wise choice given the type of guests who frequent UN parties... I would certainly want a normal refrigerator to store the beer and salsa and Hot Pockets for everyday, but a commercial walk-in would be necessary for large parties, as would several large ovens and stovetops -- the caterers don't bring that on the truck. However, lightly used commercial fittings can be bought relatively inexpensively, especially in NY City, where most new restaurants go under within a year of opening. As for repairing neglect and retrofitting modern HVAC, wiring, plumbing and of course cabling so that the laptop can be used anywhere, ouch! The numbers are ridiculous, but probably not by more than several hundred percent, given that it's a premiere historic property. They should turn Donald Trump loose on the problem -- he'd volunteered to do as much for the UN building, where I think he guaranteed he could make it happen in style for less than half the official budget. That "high class touches from all around the world" is where most of the excess cost comes in, I imagine -- tu3031 pegged it solidly. A nice little slap in the face to Mr. Annan, that nobody bothered to suggest upgrading the facilities during his residence. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-12-06 22:51 |
| #4 Also, I second .com's motion. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2006-12-06 18:00 |
| #3 If Kofi wants US taxpayer-funded digs, I think Leavenworth would be more appropriate. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2006-12-06 17:54 |
| #2 Lol, tu! *applause* |
| Posted by: .com 2006-12-06 17:44 |
| #1 I guess you have to keep that Five Star RestaurantTM thing going at all time, right? |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-12-06 17:39 |