By Thomas Tracy
As they go about their day-to-day activities, United Nations delegates speak everything from French to Urdu. But do they know what Fuggetaboutit means? Delegates might just have to add Brooklynese to their litany of languages if the U.N. decides to set up temporary offices in the borough while their east side headquarters in Manhattan undergoes renovations. In a report detailed Tuesday by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations is considering moving their offices either to downtown Brooklyn or lower Manhattan when the renovation gets underway, which is expected to take place in 2007. Nothing, however, is set in stone. According to published reports, if the U.N. decides to come to downtown Brooklyn they may touch down at the corner of Willoughby and Flatbush avenues, where real-estate development firm Thor Equities is poised to begin a 1.26 million square foot office project. Currently, a large parking lot stands at the corner. Joseph Sitt, the head of Thor Equities, admitted to reporters that he was talking to the UN about relocating to his new office building. “We would be very honored and excited to have them,” Sitt said. In his report, Annan never detailed exactly where the U.N. would move to if they decide to cross the East River. “One commercial site has been found that would accommodate both office and conference space,” he outlined in his report. “It is part of a larger development in downtown Brooklyn. It consists of some office space, some of which could be occupied as is and some that the developer would build out to accommodate conferences.” “The advantage of this site is that conference and office space would be together,” he said. “The disadvantage is that the site would require additional travel for many staff and delegates.” Another wrinkle in the plan is that the U.N. is looking for a seven-year lease with an option for one or two more years if construction plans are stalled. It’s common practice to demand a 10-year-lease from major tenants coming to a property, Sitt told reporters, adding that the fine details are still being hammered out. The U.N. is also looking for a property in Manhattan where they would be “the sole occupant” and give them “accessibility to the United Nations Headquarters.” Even though no contracts have been drawn up, many in downtown Brooklyn are already dusting off the welcome mat for the U.N. “I promise them that as happy as they are in Manhattan, that’s as happy as they would be in Brooklyn – just like all the people from Manhattan who have come to life here,” Borough President Marty Markowitz told reporters when hearing the news. Judy Stanton, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Heights Association called the U.N.’s move to Brooklyn, “fascinating.” “It will definitely be a positive for downtown Brooklyn,” she said. “I think it’s absolutely fabulous,” added Councilwoman Letitia James. “The U.N. is already reflected throughout the borough of Brooklyn. It would be a welcomed addition to the borough.” “We always knew that Brooklyn was the capital of the world – now it could be official,” said Brooklyn Heights City Council Member David Yassky. “But, although the United Nations would be an honored addition to our Downtown neighborhood, security and traffic concerns would have to be addressed before any plan is finalized.”
