HOBOKEN-In Downtown Manhattan alone, it wasestimated that 10 million and 15 million square feet of space were,well, ruined thanks to Hurricane Sandy. At least,that’s what the New York Post most recently reported. So what arethese companies going to do now? There’s only so much workingfrom home one can do; lack of access to servers, phone andprinter facilities and other amenities can make some jobsdifficult.

In the interim, it looks like displaced companies have to lookfor more temporary solutions, especially as right now, no onereally knows how long power will be out or buildings will beuninhabitable. So a new leasing trend may lean towards the lesscertain, the more fluid which will put a different kind of controlin the hands of the tenants. For instance, Globest.com recently reported on Sentry Centers’expansion to Old Slip, which offers flexible meeting space optionsfor companies – many of whom could likely be looking to suchservices until their buildings are back up to speed.

Additionally, Quest offers services that mightbe better for those stranded long-term, and who find they need amore solid, fully-functional home base. “Quest offers flexibleterms starting at one week term, instead of one month,” explainedLaura Kozelouzek, CEO of Quest. To give a bitof color, she went on to cite Foursquare’s use of the spaces at thecompany’s midtown location, “Almost 50 Foursquare staffers wereable to move into temporary offices at Quest literally overnight,”she added.