20090914-NEWS--0001-NAT-CCI-CN_-- 9/11/2009 8:09 PM Page 1 INSIDE REPORT TOP STORIES SMALL BUSINESS How Lehman crash Lessons in longevity changed New York from family firms three generations as we know it ® PAGE 2 and older P. 16 Hey, Jude! Broadway VOL. XXV, NO. 37 WWW.CRAINSNEWYORK.COM SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2009 PRICE: $3.00 peddles stars. Will it work? Secret deals PAGE 2 WYNN OR LOSE in Marriott Developer’s bank gets thumbs-down as his woes mount Vegas superstar faces uphill race at legal battle PAGE 3 Aqueduct; high rollers in Queens? ning—and they say the re- Bad signals coming Hotel owner’s cession is only partly to Only this time he’s planning a tran- suit claims blame. Last week, they filed out of Channel 13 BY AMANDA FUNG quil two-acre pond in the foreground a lawsuit against Courtyard PAGE 3 of what he hopes will be his latest management Management Corp., a sub- in 1999, Steve Wynn, the man who gambling destination, a sprawling rooms with union sidiary of Marriott Interna- NY pols are making helped transform Las Vegas into a quasi-classical building that will rise tional, accusing the hotel glamorous gambling mecca, built an beside the Aqueduct Raceway. operator of “negligent man- us Shakedown City eight-acre fountain that performs a Mr. Wynn is shifting his approach BY LISA FICKENSCHER agement.” The owners also ALAIR TOWNSEND, PAGE 11 watery dance set to music every in the face of one of his claim Courtyard charges ex- half-hour in front of his toughest challenges the courtyard marriott cessive fees for insurance newest casino there. Sev- yet: He’s out to on First Avenue and East coverage and Marriott’s loy- en years later, he in- prove he’s the man 92nd Street seemed destined alty program awarding free USINESS IVES stalled an even the state should for success when it first nights is too expensive. B L splashier water fea- tap to turn the opened in August 2006. At But the most striking al- ture at the entrance run-down 1950s the time, the neighborhood legation accuses Courtyard of his new casino in Big A racetrack lacked a major hotel but had of making backdoor deals the Chinese territory into a money- plenty of potential customers with the hotel union in an ef- of Macau. making ma- from visitors to the nine fort to protect the Marriott Today Mr. chine with nearby hospitals and guests Marquis in Times Square, Wynn is at it 4,500 video of the area’s residents. which does not employ again—in humble lottery termi- Three years later, the ho- union workers.The hotel gi- Ozone Park, Queens. nals, or arm- tel’s owners are pouring mil- ant is notorious for its hard See Page 36 lions of dollars into the line against unionization. property to keep it run- See MARRIOTT on Page 36 GOTHAM GIGS Kevin Clash,the man The growing clout behind the Muppet P. 37 G ANNE FISHER spins economic chaos into of left-wing party innovation P. 37 G MOVERS & SHAKERS Working Families Then again, Mr. Cantor Alan Gilbert leads the isn’t your typical politico. Philharmonic P. 38 rules Albany; now Known for his dirty shirts and ratty shoes, the 54-year- G GAEL GREENE finds it’s targeting city old unabashedly expects sea legs at Oceana P. 39 politicians who ride into office on BY DANIEL MASSEY his organization’s back to support INDEX it’s not every measures such as party boss who those that raise the IN THE MARKETS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _4 shows up to lunch minimum wage, NEW YORK, NEW YORK _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6 days before a criti- preserve affordable EDITORIALS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _10 cal election wield- housing, or man- NEIGHBORHOOD JOURNAL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _12 ing a copy of A Pop- date paid sick days ulist Manifesto.Or instead of creating REAL ESTATE DEALS PLUS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _14 ‘We actually who launches into a patronage jobs for CLASSIFIEDS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _32 soliloquy on the believe you his pals. Mixing HOT JOBS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _37 virtues of social can use big ideas with what EXECUTIVE MOVES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _37 democracy before the power he calls “a little bit See AT DEADLINE on Page 2 THE WEEK AHEAD _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _39 the waiter even has of the state of oomph to get fred harperfred a chance to take his to mitigate them noticed” order. (think knocking 37 “I was just get- inequalities’ on nearly 1 million 5 COMINGNEXT WEEK ting a head of steam —Dan Cantor doors per year),has 50 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN NEW YORK: up,” laments Work- Executive director helped the party Who will top the list? Find out next week when ing Families Party of the Working champion a left- the special section appears in print and online Executive Director Families Party wing agenda the ELECTRONIC EDITION at www.crainsnewyork.com Dan Cantor, as the likes of which has NEWSPAPER server interrupts. See WFP on Page 34 71486 01068 0 20090914-NEWS--0002,0003-NAT-CCI-CN_-- 9/11/2009 8:12 PM Page 1 Billy Elliot. IN BRIEF “We have far fewer butts in seats, and Broadway’s season that concerns me,”says producer Ken Dav- A BLOCK’S WORTH OF VACANT REAL ESTATE enport. “This summer wasn’t good, and DOWNTOWN IS BEING TRANSFORMED INTO A we’re on target for a drop at the end of this public art exhibition space until the market season.” picks up again.Trinity Real Estate, which opens with whimper Some theater executives are more san- manages Trinity Wall Street’s 6 million square guine. Jordan Roth, who last week was feet of commercial real estate, is donating an named president of Jujamcyn Theaters, entire city block between Canal, Grand, the third-largest theater group on Broad- Sullivan and Varick streets to the Lower Crowds down 9% as fall’s stars take stage way, admits the summer was “particularly Manhattan Cultural Council for about three difficult.” But he believes it was mostly years.The project’s organizers said the endeavor But all that star power may not be due to scheduling issues. Last season saw marks the first time a development site has BY MIRIAM KREININ SOUCCAR enough. After reporting record grosses a record number of limited runs, many of become a public outdoor art space. LentSpace, last season, Broadway is finally feeling the which closed in the beginning of the sum- which opens Sept. 18, will feature work by eight can james bond save Broadway this sea- effects of the recession. At- mer, leaving a num- international artists in its first exhibition, which son? tendance plummeted over ber of empty the- runs until January. The Great White Way is packed with the summer to around 3.3 ‘We have far aters until the fall movie stars this fall, and the celebrity- million for the season to shows were ready. FASHION WEEK COMMENCED IN THE BIG studded roster begins this month with A date, which began in June, a fewer butts in Indeed, the number APPLE LAST THURSDAY WITH BLOUSEY TOPS, Steady Rain, starring 007 actor Daniel 9.3% drop compared with of playing weeks is stick-thin pants and safari prints, but not much Craig and X-Men’s Hugh Jackman. Soon the same period a year ago. seats,’ laments down 18.9% so far in the “wow” category.The eight-day series of after, Hamlet opens with Jude Law. Fol- Climbing ticket prices kept this season. shows and events, expected to rake in $233 lowing that are Sienna Miller in After Miss box office grosses steadier, one producer “We are ab- million in direct visitor spending and bring in Julie, Julia Stiles and Bill Pullman in but the total was still down solutely operating in 116,000 attendees, continues this week with big- Oleanna and Catherine Zeta-Jones in A 2.9%, to just un- a challenging eco- name designers such as Carolina Herrera, Vera Little Night Music.