If this were a fairy tale, the building that once housed Tavern on the Green would be the damsel in distress. The part of the evil ogre would be played by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After announcing last month that the structure would be recast as a (gulp!) visitors center and snack bar, Bloomberg was given a chance to rescue the location from the ignominy of perpetual frogdom when restaurateur Dean Poll came forward with an offer of cash and noble intentions.
Yet last week Bloomberg, to the bewilderment of Poll and residents of the cash-strapped city, declined Poll's $30 million cash offer and announced
the city was withdrawing its request for proposals (RFP). Curiouser and curiouser is the fact that Poll's bid was not the only one the city received—nor was it the highest. That distinction belongs to heiress Jennifer LeRoy, whose family had operated the iconic Central Park institution since 1974. LeRoy had agreed to pay the city $86 million in fees over the 20-year lease period, an amount that would have bought a lot of Statue of Liberty souvenir replicas. The New York Post reports that concerns over the 31-year-old LeRoy's business acumen prompted the city to reject all bids and shut down the bidding process for the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, it's full speed ahead with plans to open the glitziest hot dog stand in creation.
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