UNITED NATIONS, March 26: Some 6,000 staff members working at the UN headquarters in Manhattan would move to a new location starting in May as the world body gets ready to overhaul the old landmark building, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.

The United Nations has signed a six-year lease to occupy 460,000 square feet of office space at a building in Midtown Manhattan as part of its renovation.

The lease agreement for the building at 380 Madison Avenue is one of several leases which the UN has concluded in recent months as it seeks temporary office space for some of its staff during the renovation process, known as the Capital Master Plan (CMP), according to a statement made by the spokesperson.

The CMP – a five-year, $1.9 billion overhaul – aims to bring the five-decade old Secretariat and adjacent buildings, which are plagued by leaks, safety violations and outdated systems, up to code and to high standards of efficiency and environmental sustainability.

The first construction phase of the project, a temporary conference building on the North Lawn of the UN compound, is set to begin in early May.