Meeting of the Neverminds

Did Vornado Realty Trust blink yesterday? The company did come in to meet with Council Speaker Quinn, Councilwoman Palma and staff to discuss the company's plans to evict a Key Food supermarket from Bruckner Plaza, and from the reports we're hearing the company was furiously back peddling on its eviction plans-at least verbally.

Vornado, after whining about all of the media furor we've generated on this issue, told the Speaker that it is willing to everything possible to accommodate Key Food; Vornado honcho Sandeep Mathrani, the executive VP of real estate told the meeting that the media attention wasn't necessary but was reminded that Vornado head Steve Roth had personally told Palma to essentially piss off when she asked him to intercede on behalf of the supermarket and the community.

Which is why we call them The Distrusters; and we'll remind one and all that these negotiations will be watched very closely-and with extreme suspicion. Vornado's goodwill ain't a given in all of this, and the company has made a lot of folks unhappy in many areas of the city. No one is going to give the real estate powerhouse any benefit of the doubt, and pressure will be continued to insure that the intentions here are honored and Key Food is given a new lease on life in Soundview.