UN, Swedish group sign contract to renovate UN HQ

---

UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (AFP): The United Nations said yesterday it signed a contract with Swedish builder Skanska to handle the preconstruction phase of a 1.9 billion-dollar renovation of its crumbling New York headquarters.
UN under secretary general for management Alicia Barcena told reporters that the contract was signed yesterday with the US subsidiary of Skanska at an initial cost of seven million dollars.
A statement on the deal put the total anticipated value of the work at around one billion dollars.
UN officials explained that the 1.9 billion-dollar price tag for the renovation project include other costs to cover contingency funding, inflation, leasing and fees for consultants and architects.
The overhaul, which is to begin in the first half of next year, is expected to be completed by 2014.