ASSESSMENT OF THE FUTURE OFFICE NEEDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Abstract

There are 59 Community Boards in New York City, each one representing a specific local district (or community) within one of the five boroughs of Manhattan. Each Board is comprised of up to 50 volunteer members, who serve as a local review board for proposed projects within their respective district and make recommendations on a wide range of land use, zoning, budget, and local planning issues. In addition, a Community Board monitors traffic and transportation issues, capital projects in parks, the concerns of seniors and youth, economic development, and public safety. Essentially, a Community Board serves as a liaison between residents within the area, City, State and federal elected officials, community groups, and other City agencies on numerous issues. Manhattan Community Board #6 (CB6) represents the East Side of Midtown Manhattan. Its borders are roughly from East 14th Street (southern border) to East 59lh Street (northern border) and from Lexington Avenue (western border) to the East River (eastern border). It also includes a small area from East 34lh street (southern border) to East 40lh street (northern border) and from Madison Avenue (western border) to the East River(eastern border). Since the establishment of the United Nations Headquarter's seat in the early 1950's, Manhattan CB6 has been concerned with increasing demands of commercial office space needs by UN-related uses, including permanent missions to the UN, nongovernmental organizations, UN specialized agencies, UN programmes and funds, as well the UN Secretariat. This long-range planning study of the spatial needs of the UN System and its permanent missions, as well as consular corps in New York City is being conducted in response to the apparent increasing demand for commercial office space associated with the international community along the east side of Midtown Manhattan. The purpose of the study is to: (a) identify the past and present spatial trends and forecast long-term future office space needs of the international community; (b) quantify the ability of the Turtle Bay, Kips Bay, and Murray Hill neighborhoods, as well as the rest of Manhattan CB6 to accommodate the international community's current and projected future office space demand; and (c) help develop recommendations and a long-term plan to continue to meet the needs of the international community in New York City. Furthermore, the study aimed to provide CB6 with a better understanding of the UN and the international community, and their effects on the area represented by CB6.