The Week in Review
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

1. City’s Development Tsar Resigns: Mayor Bloomberg’s deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, Daniel Doctoroff, resigned his post to become president of Bloomberg LP. Mr. Doctoroff was behind ambitious attempts to bring the Olympics to the city in 2012 and to transform the West Side rail yards into a football stadium for the Jets. He will begin the job in February and report to the chairman of the company, Peter Grauer. 2.
2. Observer Publisher Snatches Up Broadway Building: The publisher of the New York Observer, Jared Kushner, bought 700 Broadway for $80 million, the New York Post reported. The historic building is home of the National Audubon Society, which is moving to Varick Street. Lincoln Property Co. bought the building in 2006 for $53 million.
3. Madonna Sues Manhattan Co-Op Board: Claiming that her co-op board wrongfully blocked her from purchasing a neighboring apartment in her Upper West Side apartment building, the pop singer Madonna filed a lawsuit last week asking the court to allow the sale to go through and to award her legal fees, the Associated Press reported. Madonna had another well-publicized run-in with a board in 1985, when she was rejected by the San Remo co-op on Central Park West.
4. Football Star Runs From Expensive Apartment: Former Jet running back Curtis Martin has decided against buying a $7.25 million penthouse in Brooklyn Heights, the New York Post reported. The “sky house” apartment, planned for 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park, is still being built. The 4,638-squarefoot triplex will have 360-degree views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. The current record for a Brooklyn apartment is $3.8 million.
5. Brooklyn Office Inventory Tightens: Office vacancies in Brooklyn are expected to decrease to 8.3% by the end of 2007, the Real Deal reported. The drop is a difference of 160 basis points versus the same data from last year, according to a third-quarter report released by Marcus & Millichap, which the magazine cited. The decrease is likely caused by a drop in construction in the commercial sector this year. Only 20,000 square feet of new space is expected to come on the market, compared with 165,000 square feet in 2006. Combined with increased demand, prices for class B and C space is likely to rise, the report said.
6. High-End Hotel Chain To Enter City: Wyndham Hotels in February or March is opening its first hotel in the city, at 119–121 W. 24th St., and then will open others at 20 Maiden Lane, 341 W. 36th St., and 93 Bowery in the coming years, the Real Deal reported. Wyndham will manage only the 36th Street and Bowery hotels. The hotels will be built to target a young and wealthy clientele. Rooms will be outfitted with MP3/ iPod docks and other high-end amenities.
jsatow@nysun.com