Manhattan Plaza Tenants Association: Fill & Download for Free

To call that “unlikely” would be an understatement. There’s no chance in hell.Let me give you a taste of the unbelievably long list of potentially disqualifying factors they could take issue with:Mob tiesLong history of shady dealings and mafia associations[1][2][3][4] (“Trump has willingly teamed up with a succession of mob-tied figures who had nothing to do with the construction industry.”[5])Trump’s bid to build a casino in Sydney, Australia was rejected due to his mob connections[6]Financial issues (credit/debt)His credit is so bad no American bank will loan him anything[7]Filed for bankruptcy for his companies 6 times[8]In serious debt, owing hundreds of millions to both U.S. and foreign lenders[9]Three different liens on his new Washington, D.C. hotel, including one for $5 million over failure to pay his contractors[10]Criminal associatesFelix Sater (convicted of violent and financial crimes)[11]Joseph Weichselbaum (convicted of grand theft auto, embezzlement, drug trafficking)[12][13][14]Tevfik Arif (allegedly ran a prostitution ring, technically acquitted)[15][16]Andrew Stein (lied about a ponzi scheme, convicted for tax evasion)[17]Michael Flynn (pleaded guilty of lying to FBI, getting leniency on other charges in exchange for cooperation)[18]Paul Manafort (under federal indictments with 30 charges, including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money)[19][20][21][22]Rick Gates (also under federal indictments for 30 charges, including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, some of which he’s already pleaded guilty to)[23][24]George Papadopoulos (pleaded guilty of lying to FBI, awaiting sentencing)[25]Michael Cohen (even before current legal troubles with regard to money laundering and campaign finance violations, he was connected with various insurance fraud schemes)[26]The Kushners (related by marriage to a family with various legal troubles, including a conviction for serious financial crimes)[27]plus all the folks included in the aforementioned mob tiesMoney LaunderingHis casino was fined $10 million for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, which they admitted to willfully violating[28][29]All sorts of credible allegations of money laundering for Russians through more than one of his properties and businesses, including activities in New York, Florida, and Panama[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]FraudPaid $25 million to settle Trump University fraud case[39][40]Investigated and sued for fraud by attorneys general of multiple states[41][42]Accused of tax fraud by a Mexican government official[43]Sued and criminally investigated for defrauding condo buyers, had to refund more than $3 million, plus pay an undisclosed settlement. Following the settlement, the people he paid refused to cooperate with the district attorney, so the criminal case was dropped[44]Foreign financial ties, especially with people connected to the Russian government[45][46][47][48]Suspicious political donations resembling bribery to escape prosecutionTo Florida Attorney General over Trump University fraud case[49][50]To California Attorney General over Trump U fraud case[51]To Manhattan District Attorney over his kids’ Trump SoHo fraud case[52][53][54]Vulnerability to blackmailPaid $130,000 hush money to porn star mistress[55][56]Long history of paying to keep people quiet[57]Allegations that foreign governments have compromising information on him[58][59][60]Serial adultery[61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]Civil LitigationHabitually fails to honor contracts and has been involved in a staggering 3,500 lawsuits[70] — investigators are supposed to review every one!Sued by his own family members, not just his wives (and retaliated by cutting off medical treatment to critically ill infant)[71]Disgusting treatment of his tenants[72]Repeated run-ins with the lawFound guilty of hiring/mistreating undocumented immigrants[73] and had to pay $1 million[74]Fined $750,000 by Federal Trade Commission & Justice Department over antitrust violations and disclosure rules[75][76]Fined $15,000 by the Federal Election Commission for exceeding campaign contribution limits by $47,050, the largest violation in a single year.[77][78]Fined $250,000 by the New York State lobbying commission for “failing to disclose the full extent of his lobbying of state legislators.”[79]Skirted $50,000 campaign contribution limit by guaranteeing a $50,000 loan to New York politician and future convict Andrew Stein (which Trump later paid himself, even though, “or perhaps because he won”), in addition to another $50,000 he secretly split among 18 subsidiaries. When the New York State Commission on Government Integrity questioned him, he claimed he thought everyone knew the 18 companies were his, that he was just following lawyer advice, and that the loan was going to be paid back.[80][81][82][83]His foundation admitted to illegal “self-dealing” and is under investigation by the State of New York[84](and possibly the IRS, but they can’t say if they’re investigating)Apparently violated the Cuba embargo[85]Caught colluding in a tax evasion scam in 1986, testified against others so he wouldn’t be prosecuted[86]Paid a $250,000 fine after an investigation uncovered how he secretly ran an “ad campaign insinuating that an American Indian tribe threatening his casinos had ties to drugs and the Mafia.”[87]Violated the Fair Housing Act[88]Received an illegal loan worth millions of dollars, in violation of gaming laws[89]Violated anti-discrimination laws, fined $200,000 by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. He tried to appeal but lost.[90]Possible violations of U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and/or other foreign corruption connectionsAzerbaijan and ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard[91][92]Brazil[93]India[94]Likes to brag, has difficulty keeping a secret, AND **HAS REVEALED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION BEFORE**[95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102]Technically this question is asking about before he was president, so that wouldn’t have happened yet, but the bragging and trouble keeping a secret would come out in a background check. Ego is one of the four main methods foreign intelligence agencies use to get information from people.Up to 22 sexual assault allegations and/or other sexual misconduct, spanning four decades[103][104][105][106] How many people with Top Secret clearance have their own Wikipedia page full of sexual misconduct allegations?[107] In addition to the nearly two dozen women who have made allegations against him, there are recordings of Trump essentially admitting this behavior, corroborating some of the allegations himself:In a 2005 recording, Trump bragged in a radio interview about his practice of walking in on women and girls undressing at beauty pageants he owned, under the guise of “inspecting” it. “No men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in, because I’m the owner of the pageant.” By “allowed,” he apparently meant no one stopped him. Reveling in what he could “get away with,” his bragging left no ambiguity about his purpose: “You know, they're standing there with no clothes… And you see these incredible looking women, and so, I sort of get away with things like that.” His admission corroborates allegations made by some of the women he did this to, including five then-teenaged girls who competed in the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant, some as young as 15. [108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115]In a separate 2005 incident, Trump was recorded saying he feels his celebrity allows him to assault women, specifically to kiss them (“I just start kissing them...I don't even wait...") or “grab” their genitalia, without their consent.[116][117][118][119][120] While Trump tried to downplay the remarks, he did admit to saying them and offered a rare apology.[121] In sworn testimony before Congress, Trump’s own appointee for Attorney General confirmed that the actions Trump described would “clearly” constitute sexual assault.[122]Compulsive lying[123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133]One of the most common reasons for rejection is dishonesty in the application process, or a failure to accurately disclose relevant information on the 100+ page security clearance application form called the SF-86. Odds are Trump would fudge the truth somewhere.Believe it or not, this isn’t even everything, I just got bored with the project.Any one of these many issues would potentially be enough to sink his chances on their own, but all of them? Come on. Even if his application somehow weren’t rejected just based on the first 5% of this, the sheer volume of information is so overwhelming that the background check wouldn’t even be completed.Also, this is just based on open source information. An actual background check involves full field investigation— reviews of every database, interviews with friends, family, business associates, neighbors, litigants, ex-wives, etc.And remember, security clearances are not decided on the same standard as criminal law and incarceration. In other words, he doesn’t have to be convicted in a court of law, there’s no “innocent until proven guilty” or “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard; suspicion is more than enough reason to be denied a security clearance. Furthermore, not every valid reason to deny a clearance is a crime. In fact, most are not (affairs, debt, alcoholism, shady friends, foreign ties, etc.)Below are the ten most common reasons people get denied clearance.[134] I’ve put the ones he might have problems with in bold:Financial ConsiderationsPersonal ConductDrug Involvement (though he did vouch for a convicted drug trafficker)Foreign InfluenceCriminal ConductAlcohol ConsumptionForeign PreferenceHandling Protected InformationUse of IT Systems (perhaps I should bold this for his heavy social media use and refusal to use a secure phone?)Sexual BehaviorA writer is supposed to show, not tell, but I know some people have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Donald Trump’s shortcomings, so I’ll spell it out for you… He’d be blown out of the water on almost every category.I mean, we don’t even have to get into the shady mob ties or financial issues or foreign entanglements or rampant sexual misconduct…does that long list of fines he paid for violations of criminal and civil law suggest he’s someone with the requisite moral character to be trusted with national secrets?Do you think the people who grant security clearances would roll the dice with someone like this?…would you want them to??Footnotes[1] Just What Were Donald Trump's Ties to the Mob? [2] Trump ties to mobster, racist casino policies alleged in new report - Philly[3] Yes, Donald Trump has been linked to the mob[4] The truth about Donald Trump and his links to the mob[5] A Brief History of Donald Trump and the Mafia[6] Trump's bid for Sydney casino 30 years ago rejected due to 'mafia connections’[7] American banks don't support Trump — voters soon won't either[8] Donald Trump's six bankruptcies, detailed[9] Trump's latest financial disclosure shows he owes lenders at least $315 million[10] Third lien on Trump hotel brings alleged unpaid bills to over $5 million[11] Donald Trump And The Felon: Inside His Business Dealings With A Mob-Connected Hustler[12] The Drug Trafficker Donald Trump Risked His Casino Empire to Protect[13] https://books.google.com/books?id=LCbpDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=*+Joseph+Weichselbaum&source=bl&ots=QeKTrzp7X7&sig=n7U2261FrCk7Gxty6oXM8PGX2mw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGrtj8hJ3ZAhWkdN8KHdKTBO4Q6AEIVjAN#v=onepage&q=*%20Joseph%20Weichselbaum&f=false[14] Trump Vouched For Cocaine Trafficker[15] Trump pal busted for allegedly running hooker ring on yacht[16] Trump’s Former Business Partner Tries to Erase his Prostitution Bust From Web[17] Ex-Council President, Andrew Stein, Avoids Prison on Tax Evasion[18] Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the F.B.I. and Will Cooperate With Russia Inquiry[19] Paul Manafort charged with conspiracy against the U.S.[20] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/special-counsel-mueller-files-new-charges-in-manafort-gates-case/2018/02/22/7db99c9c-1716-11e8-8b08-027a6ccb38eb_story.html[21] Mueller files new charges against Manafort, Gates[22] Gates cuts a deal, and Manafort hit with new charges in Mueller probe[23] Read the FBI indictment against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates[24] Mueller files new charges against Manafort, Gates[25] Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to the FBI agents in Mueller probe[26] The Company Michael Cohen Kept — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast — ProPublica[27] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-fathers-scandal-the-genesis-of-jared-kushners-unflinching-loyalty/2016/11/27/1e9497ba-b378-11e6-840f-e3ebab6bcdd3_story.html?utm_term=.1fefc07a0e69[28] FinCEN Fines Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort $10 Million for Significant and Long Standing Anti-Money Laundering Violations[29] Trump Taj Mahal casino settles U.S. money laundering claims[30] Trump’s Russian Laundromat[31] Trump building in Panama tied to Russian mafia, international crime: report[32] Sales of Trump properties suggestive of money-laundering: researcher[33] Narco-a-lago: Money Laundering at the Trump Ocean Club, Panama | Global Witness[34] Speier alleges evidence of Trump Organization money laundering[35] Over 20 percent of Trump condos sold in America have the characteristics of possible money laundering[36] Donald Trump and the mansion that no one wanted. Then came a Russian fertilizer king[37] Why did a Russian pay $95M to buy Trump’s Palm Beach mansion?[38] Trump's Panama tower used for money laundering by condo owners, reports say[39] N.Y. attorney general on Trump University: 'This is straight up fraud'[40] Trump University Lawsuits May Not Be Closed After All[41] N.Y. attorney general on Trump University: 'This is straight up fraud'[42] Donald Trump sued for fraud in California and New York[43] Trump accused of tax fraud in Mexico[44] Donald Trump Settled a Real Estate Lawsuit, and a Criminal Case Was Closed[45] The Curious World of Donald Trump’s Private Russian Connections - The American Interest[46] Eric Trump Reportedly Bragged About Access to $100 Million in Russian Money[47] Trump's Been Talking About His Business Interests in Russia for 30 Years[48] There's a theme emerging in Mueller's Russia probe that could prove damning for Trump[49] How Donald Trump made it look like he was bribing the attorney general of Florida[50] New Records Shed Light on Donald Trump’s $25,000 Gift to Florida Official[51] Donald Trump Has Often Donated to Prosecutors Investigating His Business[52] How Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., Avoided a Criminal Indictment[53] Manhattan DA Vance Took $10,000 From Head Of Law Firm On Trump Defense Team, Dropped Case[54] Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. Were Close to Being Charged With Felony Fraud — ProPublica[55] Porn Star Was Reportedly Paid to Stay Quiet About Trump[56] Lawyer paid $130K to adult-film star to keep quiet about alleged Trump sexual encounter: report[57] Donald Trump's Long History With Hush Money[58] Dossier author feared 'Trump blackmail'[59] https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-01-09/senator-releases-text-of-interview-with-fusion-gps-official[60] Dossier author feared 'Trump blackmail'[61] How many times has Trump cheated on his wives? Here's what we know[62] Ivana Trump Recounts The Donald’s Public Affair With Marla Maples[63] Trump says cheating on Ivana with Marla was 'beautiful' in 1994[64] Donald Trump in 1990: Adultery is Not a Sin[65] Trump reportedly paid former porn star $130K for silence after alleged sexual encounter[66] Porn star Stormy Daniels described affair with Donald Trump in 2011 magazine interview[67] National Enquirer Paid to Suppress Story of Trump Cheating on Melania: Report[68] The National Enquirer Covered Up Story of Donald Trump's Extramarital Affair: Report[69] New Report: National Enquirer Paid $150K to Kill a Story About Donald Trump's Affair[70] Exclusive: Trump's 3,500 lawsuits unprecedented for a presidential nominee[71] Ross Cohen's answer to How vindictive is Donald Trump?[72] Trump was a nightmare landlord in the 1980s - a CNNMoney investigation[73] Judge Says Trump Tower Builders Cheated Union on Pension Funds[74] Trump Paid Over $1 Million in Labor Settlement, Documents Reveal[75] Trump Agrees To Pay $750,000 Penalty To Settle Antitrust Lawsuit[76] Trump to Pay $750,000 Fine[77] Donald Trump’s Donation Is His Latest Brush With Campaign Fund Rules[78] Prolific donor Trump, often skirted rules, paid fines[79] Donald Trump’s Donation Is His Latest Brush With Campaign Fund Rules[80] Donors Describe Raising Money For Campaigns[81] Donald Trump’s Donation Is His Latest Brush With Campaign Fund Rules[82] https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trump-swam-in-mob-infested-waters-in-early-years-as-an-nyc-developer/2015/10/16/3c75b918-60a3-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html?utm_term=.a95075c8b9d7[83] Prolific donor Trump, often skirted rules, paid fines[84] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-apparently-admits-to-violating-ban-on-self-dealing-new-filing-to-irs-shows/2016/11/22/893f6508-b0a9-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html?tid=sm_tw[85] Donald Trump’s company violated the U.S. embargo against Cuba[86] Donald Trump's Tax Returns And The Empty Jewelry Box Scam[87] Trump was once so involved in trying to block an Indian casino that he secretly approved attack ads[88] Decades-Old Housing Discrimination Case Plagues Donald Trump[89] Trump Castle Admits Gaming Law Violation[90] Trump Plaza loses appeal of discrimination penalty[91] Donald Trump’s Worst Deal[92] Tale of Trump and partner in Azerbaijan real estate project[93] Trump Hotel Tied To Criminal Investigation In Brazil[94] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/trump-organizations-real-estate-partner-in-india-accused-of-147-million-fraud/2018/03/18/0d7ef1fa-1c0e-11e8-98f5-ceecfa8741b6_story.html?utm_term=.e9970982d338[95] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html[96] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-05-15/trump-revealed-classified-information-to-lavrov-at-white-house-meeting-washington-post[97] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html[98] Report: Trump revealed classified information to Russia[99] Trump defends sharing classified intel with Russians: Can he keep a secret? (part 1) - France 24[100] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-16/trump-s-disclosures-could-put-foreign-intelligence-ties-at-risk[101] Donald Trump's leak of classified information involved bombs and new batteries[102] Analysis | Trump sharing highly classified information with Russia shows his extreme hubris[103] What About the 19 Women Who Accused Trump of Sexual Misconduct?[104] Here's The List Of Women Who Accused Donald Trump Of Sexual Misconduct[105] These women have accused Trump of sexual harassment[106] The 22 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct[107] Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations - Wikipedia[108] Former Miss Arizona says Donald Trump used to 'stroll in' to see naked women in dressing room[109] A Timeline of Donald Trump's Creepiness While He Owned Miss Universe[110] Former Miss Arizona: Trump ‘just came strolling right in’ on naked contestants[111] Teen Beauty Queens Say Trump Walked In On Them Changing[112] https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/10/12/donald-trump-just-came-strolling-into-dressing-rooms-pageant-contestants-allege/XygxJYhQZr3WeBHlEgGHUP/story.html[113] Donald Trump had a habit of walking into the dressing rooms of teen beauty queens[114] Trump accused of ‘waltzing in’ on naked pageant contestants, some as young as 15[115] Miss USA 2001 contestant: Trump barged into room when we were naked[116] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html[117] Trump lewd video on women: Transcript[118] Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape - Wikipedia[119] Donald Trump's 'P---y' Comment Is the Root of Sexual Violence[120] Billy Bush says there were 8 witnesses to Trump’s ‘Access Hollywood’ comments[121] Trump apologizes for video bragging about groping women[122] Sessions Says Trump Tape Comments Would 'Clearly' Be Sexual Assault[123] In 365 days, President Trump has made 2,140 false or misleading claims[124] Perspective | I study liars. I’ve never seen one like President Trump.[125] Fact check: Here are the biggest whoppers of 2017[126] Kimmel Made a 5-Minute Documentary About All of Trump’s Best Lies[127] Opinion | President Trump’s Lies, the Definitive List[128] Donald Trump's history of lying under oath[129] This Was President Trump's 2,000th Lie in Office[130] My Lawyers Got Trump to Admit 30 Lies Under Oath[131] Trump lies 9 times a day on average lately[132] Trump is on pace to lie 8,000 times by the end of his first term[133] Trump Lies More Than 5 Times a Day - Political Wire[134] The Top 10 Reasons People Are Denied a Security Clearance

Some major retailers spend years and millions of dollars on finding a New York City location only to give up because they refuse to alter their business model and change their search parameters. Conversely, other companies have compromised on location and budgets too much and failed or altered their business plan too much at the expense of the reasons for their success elsewhere.Many international brands have a flagship store on Fifth Avenue (or Madison Ave or in SoHo) that loose money, but remain open because they feel it is important for marketing and their brand image. This quote is from an article linked elsewhere in my post:“I don’t think any store goes in thinking that they’re going to lose money,” said Scott Galloway, a clinical marketing professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. “It’s more that a lot of retailers come regardless of whether they’re going to be profitable or not.” And big brands can afford to make less on a location or even take a loss—flashy flagships don’t need to be individually profitable, so long as they stimulate sales elsewhere and burnish a brand.Upper Fifth Avenue recently reclaimed the title of the world's most expensive retail rents (New York Overtakes Hong Kong for Most Expensive Retail), with asking rents surpassing $3,500 per square foot. That means a 2,500 square foot (232 meters squared) boutique would pay $8,750,000 per year at that rate. While there are many parts of the city with retail rent rates under $100 / SF / year, those areas might not have the right amount of foot traffic for a successful location for a particular business.Here is one example of a store that was successful in another city, Seattle, that had to close their New York boutique after being open relatively briefly:When Ms. Rhodes thinks about the failure of the New York location, she faults herself for not doing more research and planning before opening. A foot-traffic study, she said, would have indicated that the location wasn’t busy enough. She said she also didn’t take into account the difference between Seattle shoppers, who could put a shopping bag of the heavy cups in the “back of their Volvos,” and New Yorkers, who were on foot and might need a delivery service.A Seattle Retailer Builds on the Lessons of a Failed Store in New YorkHere is an excellent article from 2013 written by a retail broker about brands thinking about coming to Manhattan : Do Your Homework—Making Retail Work in ManhattanThere is a place on this island for almost every concept at almost every price point. Sure, many concepts have tried to break the Manhattan market and failed, but that’s not Manhattan’s fault. Everyone has the potential to succeed, as long as you put together the right team of people and do your due diligence to figure out not where you envision you might want to be but where you belong and will actually thrive.Strategizing is especially important when dissecting all of the different neighborhoods and submarkets in Manhattan. Each area has its own distinct demographics—whether they be families, students, tourists, office workers, high-rollers or budget-conscious consumers—and each of these demographic groups has its own distinct traffic pattern. Plus each city block has its own unique tenant mix, so it’s important to figure out how your concept will be integrated into the market place.While those brands followed a strong recipe for Manhattan success, the ones who didn’t are finding themselves to be in a bit of trouble. Take Fatburger, for example. The Beverly Hills-based burger chain opened on Third Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets, placing it within a few storefronts of some of New York’s favorite burger spots, Jackson Hole and Bareburger. While both of those restaurants offer sit-down dining, Fatburger is more of a quick-service concept, which doesn’t exactly serve the mostly residential population of Murray Hill. It would have been much more successful in an office-centric location like the Financial District or even Midtown. Moving just 10 blocks north would have made a big difference and opened it up to a much larger lunchtime audience.And then you have Hakkasan. It is a world-renowned, Michelin-starred restaurant, so of course it wanted to break into the Manhattan market. But the Times Square market? Questionable. Times Square relies heavily on a tourist population. These people are transient, not the repeat customer base Hakkasan needs. Nor do they have the expendable income needed to pay Hakkasan prices. Its trendy concept would have been much more successful in an area like Tribeca, Soho or the Meatpacking District because—let’s face it—that’s where Hakkasan’s overseas customer base goes when it visits New York to begin with. These customers are not coming to see the Naked Cowboy and Bubba Gump’s. Typical Hakkasan customers affiliate themselves with a trendier neighborhood, not Times Square. That’s downtown.Some locations are bad because the competition is too fierce and the competitor has too strong of a brand and a superior locations. While the department store Gimbel's, which started in Philadelphia, moved across from Macy's in Herald Square from 1910-1986, none of the successor stores at that location have been able to match their longevity:Gimbels never quite challenged Macy's, but it thrived for years, even opening branch stores in the suburbs. But Gimbels could not keep up with the competition in the changed retail landscape and gave up in 1986. Brooklyn's Abraham & Straus, once the nation's most profitable chain and a founder of Federated, came to open a branch on the former Gimbels site on 33rd St. It became A&S Plaza [now Manhattan Mall] - a vertical indoor mall modeled on suburban shopping meccas. In time, Federated decided it made no sense to own Macy's and A&S, so in 1995 it decided to retire the A&S name. The names of the A&S stores that weren't closed or sold were changed to Macy's, Stern's or Bloomingdale's.FAILURE'S FAMILIAR AT FAMED LOCATION...in 2007 J.C. Penny spent $1 billion to open their first store in Manhattan, in the Manhattan Mall, the former Gimbel's location described above. That brand has not done well since then, see here for example: Page on beluscapitaladvisors.comNavigating New York's highly expensive and highly insular real estate community is a big hurdle. The standard practices in New York city are unique and esoteric compared to other world cities and even other cities in the United States.When Prada opened its $40M SoHo Flagship in 2001 they spent too much money and attention on high-tech gadgets to amuse customers. They ignored them and it didn't work... Prada's High-Tech Misstep The luxury retailer spent millions on IT for its futuristic "epicenter" store. But the flashy technology has turned into a high-priced hassle. - March 1, 2004 they prevailed and nearly became a victim of their own success, paying a record high rent when their lease came up for a renewal: Prada Intifada: With Luxury Chains Driving Soho Rents to Record Levels, Shops and Eateries Are Elbowed Out By $4,500 Purses.Of course there are other issues that are less of an issue now, such as organized crime:The report said small retailers frequently "have no choice but to do business with the mob if they wish to remain in the industry." [Frank] Perdue told commission investigators, who were exploring organized crime's influence in the meat and poultry business, that he did business for years with Dial Poultry, a New York City meat and poultry distributor controlled by Paul Castellano and his sons, Paul Jr. and Joseph... Although he coveted a larger share of the New York market, Perdue said that in the late 1960s and early 1970s he avoided selling any poultry to Dialbecause it was "fairly common knowledge" that Paul Castellano Jr. "was associated in some way - I didn't know exactly how - with the Mafia . . ." ...In 1981, Perdue made a request for action closer to Castellano's territory, according to the commission report. At a meeting in a hotel at La Guardia Airport, Perdue asked Castellano to do something about plans of the food workers' union to picket his Perdue Chicken Restaurant in Forest Hills, QueensPerdue Linked To Mob Sought Its Aid, Crime Panel Says

They're actually replacing them with four towers. I attended a lecture by one of the managers on the project (he was actually the guy in charge of the new subway terminal, but he gave us the whole history of the project) and the original idea was to have a sort of spiral stepcase of skyscrapers around the center plaza with the memorial fountains, etc. It has been revised severely as the project went on and changed hands: the whole project is still very much in progress. This is a current projection of what it will look like when finished:From Lower Manhattan Development Corporation:1 World Trade Center: 1 World Trade Center will soar to 1,776 feet in the sky and serve as an inspirational and enduring beacon in the New York City skyline. The Tower's design evokes classic New York skyscrapers in its elegance and symmetry while also referencing the torch of the Statue of Liberty. 1 World Trade Center will rise to 1,362 feet, the height of the original WTC South Tower, and feature an outdoor observation deck at the height of the original North Tower. An illuminated antenna will rise from the center of the building to the symbolic height of 1,776 feet.1 World Trade Center embodies an extraordinary amount of features that will make it unprecedented in terms of life safety and security. In addition, 1 World Trade Center will further its distinction as a world-class model of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. To increase security, architect David Childs and his team shrunk the building's base to 200 feet square, the same measurement as the original twin towers. The reduced footprint draws the building back 90 feet from West Street, compared to 25 feet for the original tower design, leaving a larger public plaza and more room for at-grade security.The building will be among the country's safest, incorporating redundant measures like a steel-frame, vertical core enveloped by two feet of solid concrete. That core will encase the elevators, stairwells, utilities, communication systems, and even an emergency "fireman's lift." Emergency systems will also reside in the core, such as generators, a pressurized ventilation system, and a high-capacity water storage system for building sprinklers.Tower Two (200 Greenwich Street): Designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster, Tower Two will rise 78 stories (1,254 feet), and stand out for its distinct cruciform core and diagonal roof that slopes toward the WTC Memorial plaza. The tower will be located at 200 Greenwich Street, just east of the Freedom Tower, at the corner of Vesey Street.In total, 200 Greenwich Street will house 2.3 million square feet of office and 143,000 square feet of retail space (95,000 square feet of which is at or above street level). It will be home to 60 office floors each offering more than 36,000 square feet of space. There also will be four trading floors, 11.5 floors of building mechanicals, a sky lobby, and a 65-foot-tall entrance lobby.Tower Two appears to be made of four slim blocks that top off in diamond shapes. In fact, “notches” rise up each of the building's four solid sides, creating the illusion of four separate mini-towers while serving to draw light into its column-free floors.The glass “roof” begins its slant upward beginning on the west side of the 59th floor, simultaneously sending morning sunlight to the memorial. The diagonal silhouette also suits WTC Master Planner Daniel Libeskind's “wedge of light” concept, which casts no shadows on the memorial on the day of September 11th each year.Tower Three (175 Greenwich Street): Designed by Richard Rogers Partnership, 175 Greenwich Street is at the center of the various buildings around the WTC Memorial site. As a result, it stands centrally across Greenwich Street from the main axis formed by the two reflecting pools of the Memorial. The design of the tower addresses this central position and accentuates the building verticality relative to the Memorial site. As suggested in the World Trade Center Master Plan, this verticality—relative to the adjacent and smaller building at 150 Greenwich Street—is also accentuated by the stepped profile of 175 Greenwich Street and by the antennae.175 Greenwich Street, a 71-story tower, is the third tallest building on the World Trade Center site. It will rise to 1,155 ft above street level. With 54 office floors, 175 Greenwich Street includes 2.1 million sq ft of office space and five trading floors. The footprint of a typical floor is approximately 200 ft by 198 ft. At ground floor level, the footprint of the building is 49,000 sq ft. At trading floor level—the widest level—this increases to 55,000 sq ft.Tower 4 (150 Greenwich Street): Designed by Maki and Associates, 150 Greenwich Street, a 61-story tower, will be the fourth tallest skyscraper on the World Trade Center site at 947 ft from street level. With offices beginning at 139 ft above street level, the building will include 53 office floors that total 1.8 million sq ft. Two thirds of the office space will be occupied by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and City of New York, and the rest will be retained by Silverstein Properties for commercial tenants.The podium of the building consists of the ground floor as well as three additional levels above grade and two floors below grade that are dedicated for retail use - a total of 146,000 sq ft (of which 89,000 sq ft is at or above street level). The project provides access to the transportation and retail concourse below grade connected to the central PATH terminal.The tower portion accommodates office spaces in two distinctly shaped floor plates. The low and mid-rise sections on floors 7 through 44 provide a typical floor plate size of 36,350 sq ft in the shape of a parallelogram echoing the configuration of the site. These are served by three elevator banks with eight cars each. The high-rise section from floors 46 to 60 provides a floor plate size of 28,000 sq ft in the shape of a trapezoid, shaped and fluted to open toward the tip of Manhattan and triangulated from the lower floors to face the Freedom Tower. These are served by two elevator banks with eight and six cars respectively. Both office floor plans contain a central core with a 45-foot lease span on the west side facing the Memorial, 40-foot span on the north and south and a 35-foot span on the east side. The tower will also include five levels of mechanical floors."