What's the building with 4 chimneys near the United Nation? Why such a factory-liked building would exist in the mid-town area? Is there any redevelopment scheme of it?
The building is an electric power generating plant. There are a number of them around the city, of which the most famous is "Big Alys" in Queens, across the East River from the east 70s. The one near the U.N. is a hold-over from the days when that area was undesirable becasue it contained slaughterhouses. The generating plants were all located on the rivers back in the days when they burned coal, and coal delivery by barge was the most efficient method available.